Life After Rosewood
by Rosewood girl 317
Summary: After Aria graduates from Rosewood she is accepted to U.C. Berkely. She recently found out the boy she had dated for two years had been A. When a senior named Ezra catches her eye will she be able to forget her terrible past and trust him? Ezra never lived in Rosewood and he was never Aria's teacher. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Aria's POV

Tears began to fall as I see the car my parents rented drive away. They had come to California with me to help me set up my new appartment. It is my freshman year at U.C. Berkeley and I have never felt so alone. I was already starting to miss my family and friends, heck I was starting to miss Rosewood. I know that sounds crazy considering one of my best friends was murdered my sophomore year and my junior and senior years were spent trying to escape the horror of A. I had been devastated when I discovered my boyfriend of two years Noel had been the person stalking my friends and I. Shortly after we had stopped A I had been accepted to Berkeley. I was thrilled, they have an amazing writing program. Unfortunately I don't know anyone in California. My family is still living in Roosewood. Spencer had been accepted to her dream school, Upenn and was majoring in Prelaw. Emily had gotten a swimming scholarship to Danbe and spent most of her summer in the pool. Hanna had decided to go to a designing school in New York, her favorite city. Although I am happy my friends are living out their dreams I miss them all so much. My first day of college is tommorow. I'm eager to make some new friends. However, I am nervous about making enemies like I had in Rosewood. I lock the door of my small apartment and turn out the lights. I have to be up by 8 tommorow and I need to get a good sleep. Within half an hour I am sound asleep.

Ezra's POV

I start my senior year at Berkeley tommorow. Last year had been a great success for me. I was the big man on campus and I had ended up getting straight A's. Despite all of this, my summer had been a nightmare. My girlfriend Jackie Molana had broken things off with me. This broke my heart. She was the first serious girlfriend I had ever had. After the break up I went back to New York to visit my family. The trip was not very enjoyable. When I was a freshman I decided to major in English, going against my fathers wishes of me becoming a doctor. Ever since then I have been a big disappointment to my family. I am currently sharing an apartment with my best friend Hardy. Him and his girlfriend recently got engaged so he does not hang around here to often. I want to finish senior year off with good grades so I can become an English Professor someday. Hardy probably will not come home tonight so I decide to go to bed.

Aria's POV

At exactly 8 o'clock my dreams are interuppted by the sound of my alarm. I quickly get out of bed. I hop in the shower and blow dry my hair. By 9 o'clock I am dressed and ready to go. Class does not start until 10:30 so I have plenty of time to visit the cofee shop on campus. I walk in, buy my cofee, and sit down. As I'm walking out a strangor bumps into me causing me to drop my books. I look up to see a hansome man with beautiful blue eyes and curly brown hair.

" I am so sorry." The man says as he bends down to help me pick up my things.

" It's fine." I reply politely.

He picks up my copy of " To Kill a Mockingbird." and smiles.

" I love this book." He tells me.

" It's one of my favorites." I reply.

" Are you an English magor?" He askes.

" Yeah it's my first official day." I tell him.

" Wow, you're a freshman! I never would have guessed. Im going to be late for class so I've got to get going but have a great first day." He tells me.

He smiles at me and walks to his car. I am in a trance. I try to get myself to snap out of it. Boys are bad news, I learned that the hard way. I look at my phone and realize if I don't get going I'm going to be late to class. I get in my car and begin driving to the English Building.

Ezra's POV

I can't get that beautiful burnett out of my brain. She is a freshman and I'm a senior, I might never see her again! I walk into my English class realizing I'm 10 minuets early. I sit in the front so I can take good notes. About five minuets after my arrival the girl from the cofee shop walks in. Our eyes meet at the exact same time. A smile spreads across her face.

" Is this seat taken?" She askes me.

" No." I reply as I move my books off of her desk.

I can't help but stare at her as she sits down. I think she notices and I reallize she is blushing.

" You must be a very good writer if you're taking this class as a freshman." I say trying to make conversation.

" I'm okay." She responds.

We converse for the remainder of the class. I find out her name is Aria Montgomery. She is from Pennsylvania and she came to Berkeley because of their amazing English program. As the time flyes I find myself becoming more and more attracted to this girl. The professor dismisses us at 3 and I see her walking out the door. Before she can leave I stop her.

" Is there anyway you would like to come to my appartment after your last class today?" I ask her trying to be bold.

Aria is hesitant before giving me a response. After what seems like eternity, but in reality is only a few seconds she smiles at me and responds, " I would love to." I give her my number and adress and say goodbye. I feel like I'm flying for the rest of the afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

Aria's POV

I look through my closet trying to decide what to wear to Ezra's. I should have said no to Ezra, relationships only end in heart brake for me. Every time I try to reminde myself this, I think about his beautiful blue eyes. I honestly had no idea why I was spending so much time getting ready for this, he means nothing to me. I throw on a cute dress that Hanna bought me for my birthday and head out.

Ezra's POV

Aria is going to be here any minute and my appartment is a mess. I decided to cook fetachini for us. I quickly tidy my apartment up and put a nice shirt on. Is that smoke I smell? Before I can do anything the doorbell rings. It's Aria, she looks stunning.

" Ezra what's that smell?" She asks me.

Before I can respond the fire alarm goes off. Aria runs into my kitchen and turns off the stove. We both start laughing when we see the burnt food.

" So by the looks of things I'm assuming you don't cook to often." She comments.

" No not at all. I thought I would give it a try tonight." I explain.

Both of us start laughing all over again.

" I'm going to order a pizza." I tell her.

" Sounds good." She replies.

The two of us go and sit down on the couch.

" Want to play a game?" I ask her.

" Sure, how do you play?" She asks.

" Well I really would like to get to know you. So in this game I'll start by asking a question and then you ask me a question." I explain.

"Okay you go first she tells me."

I think for a moment and ask; "What's you family like?"

" Well umm I lived with my parents Ella and Byron and my 16 year old brother Mike."

" Do you guys get along?" Ezra asked.

" Nope that's two questions my turn." She says and smiles at me.

" Why did you decide to leave New York and come to Berkeley?" She asks.

" Partly because of their amazing writing program but mostly because I just wanted to get away from my family." I tell her.

I think she knows I don't want to say anything else so she changes the subject.

" Your turn." She tells me.

I hestitate for a moment but then a perfect question popped into my brain.

" So Aria, do you have a boyfriend?" I ask.

Aria's POV

" Wh-what?" I ask him timidley.

" Do you have a boyfriend?" He asks me again.

" Well I umm had a very serious one back in Rosewood but things didn't really work out." I explain.

" Why not?" He questions.

I forgot he only had one question so I answered," He ended up going to Duke and neither of us could handle a long distance relationship."

I really hope he does not realize I'm lying!

He seams to believe me and asks, " So do still have feelings for this boy?"

Before I can respond the Pizza man rings the doorbell. Ezra pays him and hands me a slice.

" Do you wanna watch a movie?" Ezra asks.

" Sure, what movies do you have?" I ask.

" I watch a lot of old movies so those are mostly what I have." He responds.

" I love old movies." I tell him.

" You can pick one." He tells me.

After looking through all of his movies I decide on " To Kill a Mockingbird".

" Good choice." He tells me as he puts the movie in.

About half way through the movie I fall alseep. I start to dream about Ezra and I. We are married and lying on the sandy beaches in Hawaii.

" I love you Aria." He tells me.

" I love you Ezra." I reply.

We are about to kiss when a noise interupts my dream.

" Ezra before you invite girls to sleep over you need to introduce me. Also warn me so I can go to Kelly's." Says a man whom I have never seem before.

It is then I realize that Ezra had fallen asleep too. His arm was around me and I was cuddled up to his chest.

" Hardy this is Aria. She wasn't sleeping over we were just watching a movie and we fell asleep." He explained.

" Sure." Hardy replies. He takes the movie out of the DVD player and says, " You made the poor girl watch one of your old movies? No wonder you guys fell asleep." He says as he walks into one of the bedrooms.

We both burst into laughter.

" I should probably get home." I tell Ezra.

" Okay but it's probably not a good idea for you to drive this late. Let me give you a ride." He says to me.

" Okay thank you so much." I tell him.

My car is still in his appartments parking lot so I have an excuse to come back soon. He unlocks his car and holds the door open for me.

" Sorry about Hardy." Ezra tells me.

" It's okay he seams like a um nice guy." I reply.

" I guess that's one way to describe him." He says.

We both start laughing.

" Your car is in my lot so do you need a ride to class tommorow?" He askes.

" Sure my first class doesn't start until 3 though. I tell him.

" So I'll see you then." He says to me.

Right then we arrive at my appartment.

Ezra's POV

I walk her up to her appartment.

" Goodnight." She tells me.

"Goodnight." I tell her.

Before she can shut the door I pull her closer to me and kiss her. She kisses me back. We stay like this for a minute. All of the sudden she pulls away. I see a look of panick wash over her face.

"See you latter. Thanks for the ride." She says and shuts the door in my face.

Gosh did I mess up! I pushed her way to far. She probably still has feelings for that boy at Duke. I sadly walk back to my car.

Aria's POV

Tears are streaming down my face. Ezra and I had chemistry, there was no denying that. I had so much fun tonight and that kiss was amazing. I want things to work out between us, but there is now way I can go through this again. Ezra probably hates me. I guess I'll just think about tommorow.


	3. Chapter 3

Aria's POV

I roll out of bed and look at my clock. Holy crap it's 11:30! I don't usually sleep in this late. To my surprise I have three missed calls from Ezra. I pick up my phone and call him back.

" Hey I saw you called." I say.

" Umm yeah I just wanted to know if you still need a ride." He tells me awkwardly.

" Yeah if that's okay with you." I reply.

" I'll see you at 2:30." He says and hangs up.

Ezra arrives at 2:30 sharp. The first part of the ride was extreamly silent and awkward. He finally broke the silence by saying, " I like you a lot Aria. I would really like to get to know you and I'm sorry I went to far last night. I understand if your not over your boyfriend from Duke. I'm fine with just being friends."

"Ezra, there is something you should know. I lied to you last night about why I broke up with Noel. When I was 15 one of my best friends was murdered." I start to explain.

" I'm so sorry." Ezra interupts.

" Let me finish."I reply.

" She went missing when our clique was having a sleepover. We woke up in the middle of the night and she was gone. The next morning police were everywhere. Then all of the sudden my dad decides to move my family to Iceland. We were there for a year after Alison went missing. When I got home my 3 best friends and I started getting text from someone named A. A knew all of our secrets, things only Ali would have known about us. For a while we thought Ali was back and she was A. But then her body was found. A tortured us for two years. A did HORRIBLE things to us Ezra. We were so scared to tell anyone because we were terrified A would do something to us or the person we told. 2 years went by and we discovered that A had been my boyfriend. He killed Alison and was pretending to love me so he could get close to my friends and I and." I tell him.

At this point I'm in tears.

" I want to be with you Ezra, but I can't get hurt again." I manage to say.

Ezra is completely silent for a moment. Finally he tells me, " I promise I would never hurt you like Noel did. I really want to be with you but it seams like all you need is a friend right now. I'll be here for you and if you ever change your mind about having a boyfriend let me know."

I smile at Ezra and give him a hug.

" Thank you so much for understanding." I tell him

We finally arrive at school. I say goodbye to Ezra and he drops me off.

Ezra's POV

I feel so bad for Aria. She seems like such a sweet girl, why would anyone want to hurt her? As much as I want to be with her, I think she needs time being single. As I start to walk into my building Jackie steps in front of me.

" Hey Ezra, how have all of you classes been?" Jackie asks me.

" Fine." I say trying to walk away.

" Look Z, I made a huge mistake letting you go. Please forgive me, I miss you!"Jackie begges.

" Do you have any idea how much heartbreak you caused me?" I ask her angrily.

" I'm so sorry Ezra. Please give me the chance to make it up to you. Meet me after class I would love to catch up." Jackie says.

" Fine." I reply.

" See you then." She says to me.

All summer I had dreamed Jackie would wan't me back. Now that she does, it doesn't seem important to me. I wish it was Aria who wanted to date me. After class Jackie and I caught up over cofee. We talked about what we did over the summer and reminisced about all of our old memories. Soon enough we ended up kissing in the bathroom. We are now officially boyfriend and girlfriend. However, something still does not feel right. Is it wrong that the whole time we were kissing I kept picturing Aria? I tell myself to snap out of it. Aria does not wan't a boyfriend and I can't spend my life waiting on some girl I just met. Even though she is smart, funny, and beautiful.

My thoughts are interrupted by Jackie saying, " Ezra,want to go hang out at your appartment?"

" Sure." I reply.

We get to my appartment and rent a movie. It's a chick flick because Jackie hates old movies. About half way through the movie someone knocks on the door. To my suprise it's Aria.

Aria's POV

" I just came over to pick up my car and I thought I would say hello." I explain.

" Aria, please come in." Ezra says directing me inside.

I am surprised to see a tall dark haired women sitting on Ezra's couch.

" This is Jackie, my um girlfriend." Ezra says.

Did he just say girlfriend? Ezra was hitting on me when he had a girlfriend! What a jerk!

My thoughts were interrupted by Jackie saying, " We were off for a while but now we are back on." She threw her arms around Ezra.

" We just got back together today." Ezra says looking a little bit guilty.

I gues that makes this a little better. Nevertheless, I'm still heart broken.

" It was nice meeting you Jackie but I should probably get going. I have notes to look over." I explain.

" It was nice meeting you to Aria." Jackie says in a very insencere voice.

I swear she just shot me a death glare. I walk out of Ezra's appartment and into my car. As soon as I get in I start crying. How could I have been so stupid? I should have gone for Ezra while I had the chance. I recieve a text from Ezra a few minuets later.

Aria I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about Jackie and I. I never got the chance to talk to you about it. I want to let you know she does not change anything. I still would like for us to be friends.

- Ezra.

I smile when I read this. Maybe it's not to late for Ezra and I after all. I arrive at my appartment and lie on the couch. My doorbell rings a couple of times. I am seriously hoping it's Ezra. My hopes are crushed when I see Jackie standing outside of my doorway.

" Mind if I come in." Jackie asks in a cruel voice.

" Umm sure, how Do you know where I live? " I ask.

Instead of answering my question she says, " Aria, I get why your attracted to Ezra. He is sweet, sensitive, and let's not forget extreamy sexy. But let's get one thing straight, you have no chance with him. You're a naive little freshman and you're wasting your time. You were his rebound, I'm the real thing."Jackie concludes.

" You are right about one thing Jackie. Ezra is "sweet, sensitive, and extreamly sexy." that's why I don't get why he would waste him time on a bitch like you. " I say as bravely as I can.

" There is no point in bringing this conversation up to Ezra, is there?" Jackie asks.

" Nope."I say and slam the door in her face

Funny how when you can't have a guy you end up wanting him. I've made up my mind and I've decided I want Ezra. I don't care what I have to do to take Jackie down.

**What do you guys think? Don't worry Jackie will be out of the picture soon enough :). I will try to update over the weekend. Please review, tell me what you like and what you don't like. Thank you for all of your support!**


	4. Chapter 4

Ezra's POV

A few weeks have gone by since I started seeing Jackie. Aria and I have grown extreamly close. She comes over a lot to watch old movies and work on her writing with me. Sometimes she just sits on my couch and sketches me and my appartment. Today is Saterday and I have a cofee date with Jackie. I arrive at the coffe shop, I see Jackie sitting at a table outside. I kiss her and sit down. To my surprise I see Aria walk into the shop.

I quickly get her attention by yelling, " Hey Aria."

Aria walks over and gives me a hug. For some reason Jackie looks annoyed.

" Why don't you sit with us." I ask Aria.

" I don't want to intrude." She replies.

" Thank you." Jackie says in a beyond nasty voice.

" I have not talked with you in a while and I would love to catch up." I say ignoring Jackie.

" Okay if you insist." Aria replies while I pull up a third chair for her.

" So how is freshman year Aria?" Jackie askes.

" It's great so far. I've met a lot of great people and my grades are good." Aria replies.

" How is senior year?" Aria askes us.

" It's a lot of work. Ezra and I are trying to escape some of the stress by going down to the city tonight." Jackie says smirking at Aria.

" Would you like to come with us?" I ask her.

Jackie kicks me under the table.

" Sure, that sounds fun." Aria says.

Jackie looks furious.

" I should let you two have some alone time. I've got to get going. " Aria says.

" Okay, be at my appartment by 5 so we don't hit to much traffic." I tell her.

When Aria walks away Jackie yells, " WHAT THE HELL EZRA!"

A couple of people sitting around us look over.

" This was suppose to be our special night and you invited her!" She says furiously.

" Jackie, we will have plenty of time to spend together. It's been really hard for Aria to leave her family and friends. She doesn't know anyone in California and I think it wold be good for her to see San Fransisco." I explain.

" Fine." Jackie says angrily.

Aria's POV

I burst into laughter as soon as I get into my car. Jackie was so mad I thought she would explode! Ezra completely ignored her whinning and talked to me. He is so sweet. I am very excited to see San Fransisco. I have never been there before and I've heard it's beautiful. I sigh to myself. If I were in Roosewod right now I would probably drive Emily, Spencer, or Hanna's house and tell them the whole story. They would laugh and say what a bitch Jackie is and tell me I'm much prettier. Now that I can't talk to them in person I feel so alone. I try calling all three of them but nobody answers. I decide to sketch a picture of Ezra to get my mind off of things. Before I know it, it's 4:00! I had to pick the perfect outfit to wear. After a couple of minuets I finally decided on something. I arrived at Ezra's appartment before Jackie.

" Wow, you look beautiful." Ezra tells me.

" Thank you." I say blushing. " You look very handsome, Jackie is one lucky girl."

We talk for a couple of minuets. Our conversation is interrupted by Jackie pounding on the door.

" Oh Aria, you're here." Jackie says when Ezra opens the door.

" Yes, I am." I reply.

We both smirk at each other for a moment.

" I'm going to call a cab." Ezra says and walks out off the room.

" Listen to me Aria, Ezra was polite enough to invite you because he feels sorry for you. This is our special night, you're just the third wheel. If you pull any funny business you'll be sorry." Jackie says.

" I'm going to try and ignore all of your hostility right now because I know you feel threatened by me." I reply.

" Come on girls, our cab is waiting." Ezra says as he walks in the room.

By 5:20 we are in the cab. Jackie sits on the right side, Ezra is in the middle, and I'm on the left.

" Have you ever been to San Fransisco?" Ezra asks me.

" No." I reply.

" You'll love it. It's about a 30 minuet drive but the traffic can get pretty bad. Since it's a Saterday night I'm guessing our travel time will increase by about an hour." Ezra rambled.

He seems nervous. I think it's kind off cute.

" Ezra, stop talking or you will put both of us to sleep." Jackie says cruely.

" Sorry." Ezra says blushing.

After a long and awkward drive we finally see the Golden Gate Bridge. I think Ezra realizes how excited I am. He grabs my hand and squeezes it.

" It's amazing." I comment.

" Wait until you see the rest of the city." Ezra tells me.

" I can't believe how crowded it is." I reply.

" What did you expect? It's one of the biggest cities in the world. Jackie snaps.

" Knock it off Jackie, your ruining my good mood." Ezra replies.

I have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. After another 45 minuets of sitting in traffic, the driver drops us off at Fisherman's Warf. When I see how much the man charged Ezra I pull some money out off my purse and hand it to him. Ezra shakes his head and gives me my money back. To my suprise the city is freezing! Ezra noticing me shivering and hands me his jacket.

" I'm cold too Ezra." Jackie says.

" But Jackie you have three layers on." Ezra replies.

" THAT'S IT I'VE HAD IT WITH BOTH OF YOU!" Jackie yells angrily.

" Please calm down. If your cold we can go to the store and buy you a jacket." Ezra Says.

" It's not just the jacket Ezra, this slut has been throwing herself at you all evening and I'm sick of having to watch it." Jackie replies.

" Don't talk that way about Aria In front of me. She has been nothing but sweet since I have met her." Ezra says.

" How can you be so clueless Ezra? She is trying to break us up!" Jackie says angrily.

" I am not! I think Ezra is a great guy but I respect the fact that he is dating you. " I say trying to calm Jackie down.

" Liar." She says.

" Let's just forget all of this and enjoy our evening." Ezra interrupts.

" No, I'm giving you a choice Ezra. You can either give Aria enough money to take a cab home and agree to never speak to her again, or we can break up. It's your choice." Jackie says.


	5. Chapter 5

Ezra's POV

" Hold on a minuet, you're asking me to leave Aria alone in a city she has never been to before?" I question.

" Or break up with me." Jackie reminds me.

Aria looks scared, as if she thinks I would leave her. I pull some money out of my wallet. Jackie smiles probably thinking she has won.

To Jackie's surprise I hand the money to her and say, " I choose option three. Take this money, call a cab, and never speak to me again."

" You can't be serious." Jackie says angrily.

" Do I look like I'm joking?" I ask.

" Fine have it your way, just know you're making a huge mistake." Jackie says and walks away.

Aria and I stare at each other for a moment.

She breaks the silence by saying, " I'm so sorry Ezra. I can go find her and convince her to come back."

I shake my head and say, "I ment what I said Aria."

I grab her and hold her close to me. Instead of pulling away she snuggles against my chest.I stroke her long dark hair gently. After a moment she looks up at me. Before I can say anything she kisses me. We kiss in the middle of the crowded city for what seems like eternity. We are interrupted by a car honking at us from the street. Aria starts to laugh.

" Would you like to go to dinner?" I ask her.

" I would love that." She says smiling.

We are siting across from each other at a cozy Italian restaurant that over looks the harbor.

" Ezra, I have a confession to make. I had feelings for you when you were seeing Jackie. I think Jackie figured it out and that's why she was upset. I promise I was not trying you break you guys up." She explains nervously.

" Don't worry Aria, our break up was not your fault. I was sick of being pushed around by Jackie. If knew you had feelings for me I never would have agreed to start seeing her." I say grab Aria's hand.

Aria smiles at me.

" Let's just forget about everything and enjoy our date." I tell her.

" This is a date?" She questions.

" Only if you want it to be." I tell her.

" I want it to be." She says blushing.

" Can I get you anything to drink?" The waiter asks interrupting our conversation.

" Yes, we will have two house caps." I tell him.

" I don't drink." Aria says as soon as he leaves.

" Live a little Aria, you're in the city for the fist time." I tell her.

" You're right, I'm also on my first date with you." Aria replies.

We enjoy a nice dinner together. After we eat I pay the bill and head out.

" San Fransisco has some amazing stores. Do want to go shopping?" I ask Aria.

" You want to go shopping?" Aria asks me giggling.

" What? Isn't that what girls like to do?" I ask her.

" Yes, but I've never had a boy ask me if I wanted to go shopping." She explains.

" Well it's your fist time in the city and I want you to have a good time." I tell her.

" That's very sweet, but how about we do something you would enjoy doing." She says.

" We can take the cable car and see the city." I suggest.

" That sounds perfect." She replies.

After waiting in line and buying tickets we find a spot in the cable car. I can't help but smile as I see her eyes fill with excitement. She is so much fun to be around. Every time we stop near a sight Aria and I take pictures. We laugh and talk the entire time. After the tour is over we go to Garadelli Square and I buy Aria flowers and a box of chocolates.

" Thank you, they're beautiful." Aria says as I hand her some roses.

" You're welcome." I tell her.

" This has been such a great evening." Aria tells me.

" I know, you're amazing Aria Montgomery." I say and put my arm around her.

" You're amazing Ezra Fitz." She tells me.

" We should probably call a cab." I tell her.

" Okay." She agrees.

The ride home was much more relaxing and enjoyable then the ride there. Probably because I could finally hold Aria and not have to listen to Jackie whine. About half way through the drive I realized Aria was asleep in my arms. I smile and pull her in closer to me. When we arrive at her apartment I wake her up. I walk her to her door and kiss her goodnight.

Aria's POV

I wake up and smile. Last night had been perfect. I didn't think I would be able to move on after my break up with Noel, but now I feel like I can. I wanted to talk about Ezra with someone so I call up the girls and put them on a three way.

" ARIA, SPENCER, EMILY!" Hanna shrieked into the phone.

" HANNA." Spencer yelled imitating Hanna.

The four of us laughed.

" Hows college?" I asked the four of them.

" Excellent, one of my professors was so impressed by my paper that he invited me to lunch." Spencer said happily.

" Of course that would happen to Spencer." Emily replied.

" What's up with you Em?" Spencer askes.

" Right now I am training to win an NCAA swimming title." She says.

" That's so cool Em, I can't wait to watch you on TV." I reply.

" Guys I have some really big news." Hanna says.

" What is it Han." I ask curiously.

" Caleb and I are um, engaged." Hanna said nervously.

" ENGAGED!" The three of us yelled at the same time.

" When's the baby due? " Spencer asked.

" I'm not pregnant Spencer, Caleb proposed last night and I said yes." Hanna responded.

" I am totally going to plan the dream wedding for you two!" Spencer said excitedly.

" You three are all have to come." Hanna told us.

" Of course, we wouldn't miss it for the world." I replied.

" The date is still undecided, but we are having the wedding in New York city," Hanna said excitedly.

" I'm so happy for you two." I tell Hanna.

" Aria, tell us about California." Emily says.

" Well the reason I called was to talk to you guys about a boy I met." I explain.

" A boy! Give me the juicy details." Hanna demands.

" Stop!" I say.

" I can feel you blushing through the phone." Hanna tells me.

I tell the girls about Ezra and how we met. I also tell them about our date last night.

" You girls are all coming to Rosewood for Christmas, right?" Spener asks.

" Yes." the three of us reply.

" Aria bring your book nerd with you." Hanna teases.

" We have been on one date." I reply.

" Just think about it." Hanna says.

" I definitely will." I say.

The three of us say goodbye and hang up the phone. It was so nice to talk to the girls. My thoughts are interrupted by my phone buzzing. I flinch when I see who it is.

**What did you all think? Thank you for your reviews, I will try to update as soon as possible.**


	6. Chapter 6

Aria's POV

" Noel?" I answer timidly.

" Aria, no time no talk." He replies.

" Wh-what do you want? I ask.

" I just want to catch up." Noel informs me.

" Are you insane? You think after what you did to me,you can just call me so we can catch up?" I ask angrily.

" You were the one who was stupid enough to believe me." Noel replies.

Even though he is right I respond, " I never want to speak to you again. Lose my number because I have already lost yours."

" What if I told you I was sorry and am coming to visit you in California?" Noel questions.

" I would tell you to get lost. I have a boyfriend now." I answer.

" I'd be very careful if I were you Aria. I know all off your secrets. I could easily inform your new boyfriend of what you were up to all of last year." He challenges.

" You wouldn't!" I reply nervously.

" If you don't think I would then you obviously forgot everything I taught you and your pretty little friends back in Rosewood." Noel tells me.

" DON'T EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN! I HAVE A RESTRAINING ORDER FILLED AGAINST YOU, AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO CALL THE POLICE!" I scream furiously.

" You're not afraid to call the police? I'm not either, remember I know something that could get you and your friends into a lot of trouble." He reminds me and hangs up.

Before I can stop myself I burst into tears. I can't believe he was going to do this to me again. I though when I left Rosewood, I was leaving behind my terrible past. I got into my car and drive to Ezra's apartment.

" Aria, is everything okay?" Ezra asks.

When I hear how concerned Ezra seems, I start to cry even more. Ezra pulls me into his tight embrace.

" Do you want to talk about it?" Ezra questions.

" Not really." I finally respond.

" It's okay." He assures me.

Ezra and I walk over to his couch. I stay close to him until I am able to get back my composure.

" Can I just be here with you?" I ask.

" Of course." Ezra tells me.

We spend the rest of the afternoon snuggling and watching old movies.

"I should probably get going." I say after dinner.

As I'm walking out Ezra grabs me and asks, " Aria, are you sure your okay?"

" No, but I will be." I tell him.

" I'm here if you need to talk." Ezra reminds me.

" I wan't to tell you, but I can't." I explain.

"Why not?" Ezra asks.

" You will probably never see me the same again." I reply with tears falling down my face.

" Aria, I won't judge you." He tells me.

I think for a minute and try to figure out how I am going to tell him what happened last year.


	7. Chapter 7

Aria's POV

" Do you remember when we first met I told you about my friend Alison?" I ask Ezra.

He nodded and asked, " Is that the girl who was murdered?"

" Yes. Before Allie was killed, she controlled my friends and I. We were all stupid enough to do whatever she told us to do without ever questioning her motives. The summer that she was killed, the five of us decided to have a Fourth of July sleepover party. The first part of the night was a blast. We watched movies and tried on each others clothes. We were hanging out in my friend Emily's room when Alison claimed she saw a boy named Toby Cavenaugh peeking through the window." I started to explain.

" What a creep!" Ezra responded.

" Toby was not a creep. Alison made that up. It was actually an older boy named Ian Thomas who was watching and filming us. Nevertheless, we believed Alison's story. I wanted to call the police on Toby, but Allie had a different idea. She persuaded us to put a stink bomb in Toby's garage to get revenge." I tell Ezra.

" So what's the big deal? It was only a stupid prank." Ezra said.

" No Ezra, it went a lot further then that. Toby had a step sister Jenna that Alison would always make fun of for no reason. When we set the stink bomb off, we realized that Jenna was in the garage. Before we could do anything the garage set on fire." I explain.

Tears start to fall down my face. Before I can continue with my story Ezra wraps his arms around me.

" It's okay Aria, it was an accident. It was not your fault it was Alison's." Ezra assured me.

" Yeah, but somebody should have stopped her. If I had, Allie would still be alive." I respond.

" What are you talking about?" Ezra asks me.

" Luckily Jenna didn't die in the fire. Toby got her out of the garage and took the blame for that night. Jenna and Toby were romantically involved. Alison blackmailed him and forced him to keep our secret. Unfortunately for us, our secret didn't stay hidden. Jenna's best friend Mona saw us, and so did Noel. We found out later that the explosion caused Jenna to lose her vision. Noel was so angry that he killed Alison to get revenge. Jenna, Mona, and Noel did everything in their power to make my friends and I miserable. That's how the A thing started." I say.

I start to ball into Ezra's chest. He comforts me and tries to get me to calm down.

" Allie's death was not your fault. It's over now Aria, you need to movie on." Ezra tells me gently.

" I can't. Noel knows we blinded Jenna and he is holding it over me." I tell Ezra.

" I thought the police caught him." Ezra told me.

" They caught him for being A, not killing Alison. He told the girls and I that if we ever told anyone what he did, he would tell the police about what we did to Jenna." I say.

" You did not blind Jenna, Alison did. Even if you did blind her, murder is a much bigger crime. There is nothing he can do to you without causing more problems for himself." Ezra explains.

" I know, I'm just scared." I tell him.

" I won't let this Noel person hurt you. He is across the country, please don't worry." Ezra says comforting me.

" I love you." I tell him.

" I love you to." He replies.

He holds me while I close my eyes. Before I know it, I'm asleep in his arms.

Ezra's POV

Aria is sound asleep. It's late and I don't have the heart to wake her up. Hardy is sleeping over at Kelly's so I have the apartment to myself for the night. I gently carry Aria to my bed and tuck her in. I grab some blankets from my closet and set up a bed for myself on the couch. As soon as I lie down I hear Aria's phone buzzing. The caller ID says Noel. Before I can stop myself I answer the phone.

" Aria?" I hear him say.

" No this is her boyfriend Ezra." I reply angrily.

" Are you also her secretary?" He asks.

" Listen Noel, I'm going to say this once so listen up. If you do anything to hurt Aria I will destroy you. Don't call her or contact her ever again." I tell Noel.

" Is that a threat?" He asks me?

" It's not a threat, it's a promise." I say.

" You have no idea who your dealing with." Noel tells me.

" Yes, I do. I know what you did." I tell him angrily.

" Did Aria tell you?" He asks me. Before I can respond he says, " She just dug her own grave."

" You are such a coward. If you have a problem come after me not Aria." I reply.

" Maybe I will." Noel says and hangs up the phone.


	8. Chapter 8

Aria's POV

It has been two months since I had gotten that call from Noel. I wonder if there is a reason that he has not contacted me. His silence is scary. I am currently sitting on Ezra's couch studying. We have finals on Monday and I am very nervous. My studying is interrupted by Ezra gently kissing my neck. I close my book and sigh.

" Ezra, I really need to focus." I tell him.

" You have been studying non stop for the past month. You can afford to take a little break." He tells me and pulls me closer to him.

" I guess you're right. I just want this week to be over." I say.

" Are you excited for Christmas break?" Ezra asks.

" Yes, I can't wait to visit my friends and family." I tell him.

" Are you excited?" I ask him.

" I guess, I'll miss you though." Ezra says looking sad.

" You'll be with your family." I remind him.

" They didn't invite me to come home this year." Ezra tells me.

I know Ezra has problems with his family, but how could they not want to see him on Christmas?

" Who are you spending the holidays with?" I ask curiously.

" Myself I guess." He tells me.

" That's terrible. Nobody should have to spend Christmas alone! Why don't you come to Rosewood with me?" I ask Ezra.

" I don't want to intrude." Ezra replies.

" You wouldn't be intruding. I really want you to meet my family. My friends know all about you and are practically begging to meet you." I assure him.

" How do your friends know about me?" He asks.

Before I can reply the pizza man rings the doorbell. Ezra pays and walks back to the couch.

" What do you say, will you come home with me?" I ask.

Ezra smiles and says, " I would be honored.

I smile and kiss him passionately.

After we kiss for a while I pull away and say, " I need to get back to my studying."

" Same here." Ezra says and opens his book.

After a few hours of studying I call my mom to tell her that Ezra is coming to Rosewood with me. She is pretty surprised considering the fact that I hadn't told her I had boyfriend. Even though I am thrilled to see my friends and family, I'm a little bit nervous to go back to Rosewood. I don't know if Noel is still there and I'm nervous about running into him. I decide to spend the rest of my Saturday curled up next to Ezra. He puts on an old movie and holds me close. All of the sudden Spencer calls me. I hang up so I won't disturb Ezra who is asleep next to me. A few seconds later I get a call from Hanna. Again I hang up and try to get back to the movie. I'm not surprised to hear my phone ring again. It's Emily, surprise surprise. Defeated, I step out of the room and take the call.

" Em, can I call you girls back I'm with Ezra." I say as soon as I answer.

I hear Emily crying in the background.

" Nevermind, if you need to talk I'm here for you. Is everything okay?" I ask her nervously.

" No, I have some terrible news." Emily replies.

" What's going on?" I ask getting more and more scared.

" There is something you should know, and you're not going to be happy about it." Emily tells me.

" WHAT?" I ask irritated.

Emily breaks down sobbing and replies, " I'm so sorry Aria."


	9. Chapter 9

Aria's POV

" Emily what's going on?." I ask nervously.

" It's Mike." She finally told me.

" Wh- what happened?" I ask.

" He was hit by a car." She replied.

" Is he going to be okay?" I ask Emily.

" I'm not sure. It literally happened a couple of minutes ago." Emily explained.

" That's why my mom didn't know about this when I called her. I'm going to get on the next plane to Rosewood." I tell Emily.

" You can't, you have to stay in California for finals. You coming to Rosewood won't help Mike recover." Emily explained.

" I guess you're right. Please call me the second you hear anything!" I say.

" Of course. I'll call you soon." Emily says and hangs up the phone.

Before I can stop myself, I burst into tears. I can't believe this had happened to Mike.

" Aria, whats wrong?" Ezra asked me.

" My brother was hit by a car." I explain.

" I'm so sorry." Ezra says.

He hugs me and walks me over to the couch. I continue to cry as he strokes my long hair. About an hour later I get a call from my father.

" Is Mike okay?" I ask.

" Your brother is going to be fine. He has four broken ribs, a broken leg, and a concussion." My dad explains.

" I'm so happy those are the only things." I reply.

" I know." He says.

" I'll get on the first plane home as soon as finals are over." I say.

" Good, everybody misses you." My dad says.

" I miss you guys too." I respond.

" Your mother told me your boyfriend is going to be visiting us as well." My dad tells me.

" Um yeah." I say.

There is a long silence before my dad says, " Okay I'll see you in a week. Good luck on your exams."

" Wait, who was the person that hit Mike?" I ask.

" It was a hit and run and the police haven't caught the driver." My dad explained.

" Wait, like what happened to Hanna?" I asked.

" Exactly." My dad responds.

" Dad, is Noel Kahn in town?" I ask.

" I'm not sure, why?" He asked.

" Tell the police to find out if he is." I demand.

" Do you think Noel is behind this?" Dad asks.

" I'm almost positive." I say.

"Okay, I'll tell the police." My dad says.

" Thanks, love you." I say and hang up the phone.

" Is Mike okay?" Ezra asks.

" Yeah he is going to be fine. I should probably get home, I have a big day tomorrow." I say.

" Okay." Ezra says and kisses me.

" I'm going to book us a flight for the day finals end. As soon as I get the flight information I'll call you" I tell Ezra.

" You still want me to go?" He asks.

" Of course, why wouldn't I?" I question.

" I just thought after what happened with your brother it would be to much." He explains.

" It's not to much. I'm looking forward to having you." I assure him.

" I'll see you tomorrow." He says.

" Bye." I say as I walk out.

When I get home I put the girls on a four way.

As soon as everyone is connected I ask, " Does anyone know if Noel is in town?"

" Yeah, he is why?" Hanna asks.

" I think he hit Mike." I reply annoyed.

" Why would you think that?" Spencer questions.

" Um let me think, HE HATES OUR GUTS!" I say.

" You don't have to be so harsh." Hanna replies.

" I just don't know how you guys could be so clueless." I respond.

" We are the clueless ones? You're the one who dated him for over a year!" Spencer reminds me.

" Wow, thanks a lot." I say angrily and hang up the phone.

I probably just overreacted but I'm to upset to care. I can't believe Emily didn't tell me Noel was in town. Winter vacation is looking less and less enjoyable.

**Sorry it took me so long to update! I've been super busy with finals and soccer. I'll post the next chapter a lot sooner. I hope you all had a great Christmas!**


	10. Chapter 10

Aria's POV

Finals week is finally over! Ezra and I both ended up getting straight A's. We are now driving to the airport so we can catch our flight. Unfortunately we couldn't get a direct flight from San Francisco to Rosewood so we have a layover in New York City. I'm so excited to be going home, Mike recovered quickly and is out of the hospital. I apologized to the girls for snapping them over the phone, and we can't wait to see each other. The only thing I'm worried about is seeing Noel.

" Are you okay." Ezra asks interrupting my thoughts.

" Yeah, I'm so excited to be going home." I tell him.

" I'm excited to spend more time with you." He says sweetly.

" Same here." I say.

We finally approach the airport. Ezra parks his car and takes both of our suitcases out of the trunk. After we go through security and check in we sit by our gate. After about half an hour of waiting we can finally board the plane.

" Do you want the window seat?" Ezra asks me.

" Sure." I reply.

When the plane begins to take off I get a little but nervous. Ezra notices and grabs my hand.

" Aria, is something bothering you?" He asks me.

" You mean other then the fact that we are about to fly 1000 feet in the air? No." I tease.

" You just seem a little distracted." He replies.

" I guess I'm just nervous about running into Noel. I don't want him to go after us." I explain.

" I'm not afraid of the coward and you shouldn't be either." He assures me.

" Ezra, you really don't know what he is capable of." I tell him.

" What's the worst he can do?" Ezra asks.

" Well for one, he is a murderer. I also think he hit my brother with a car. He did terrible things to my friends and I last year" I explain.

" You and I are going to the police as soon as we get to Rosewood." Ezra say determinedly.

" No we are not! He can get my friends and I into serious trouble." I tell him.

" Like I said before, his crimes are a lot bigger then yours. Besides, you didn't blind Jenna, Alison did. You can't keep living this way Aria. If you don't do something about Noel, he will have power over you for your whole life." Ezra tells me.

" Your right." I say with tears falling down my face.

" Hey, don't worry. I promise everything is going to be okay, I'm not going to let Noel hurt you." Ezra says while he wipes the tears off of my face.

" I love you so much!" I tell him.

" I love you more." He teases.

" I doubt that's possible." I reply.

" You look tired, why don't you get some sleep?" Ezra suggests.

" Good idea." I reply.

Within 10 minutes I am sound asleep dreaming sweetly.

Ezra's POV

After about five hours of flying, we are beginning to land. Aria is sound asleep in my arms, I gently wake her up. I look out the window and see snow covering the city like a white blanket. We finally land and go straight to the gate of our next flight. Before we are about to board a message goes out over the intercom.

" As you all can see we are experiencing a severe snow storm. We have determined that is unsafe to fly out of this airport. All of tonight's flights have been cancelled. Thank you have a nice evening." The women said.

I looked over at Aria's disappointed face. I know how excited she was about going home to see her family, she must be heartbroken.

" I'm so sorry Aria." I say sympathetically.

She smiles weekly and says, " It's okay Ezra, we can get a flight for tomorrow morning. At least I have you."

I can see how disappointed Aria is.

" I'm going to call my mom." She says and steps away.

About 5 minutes later she walks back over to me.

" This might actually be fun. I can take you around New York and we can go to a nice restaurant." I say trying to cheer Aria up.

" San Francisco and New York? You certainly know your way around cities." She teases.

" Yeah well I did live here for 18 years." I remind her.

" Oh that's right, you grew up here. Do you want to go visit your family." She asks sweetly.

" I would rather not." I answer.

" Okay, lead the way." She says grabbing my hand.

We get in a cab and head for the strip.

" I love New York, the lights are so bright." Aria tells me.

" Yeah it's pretty cool." I tell her.

We walk around the strip until we find a place to eat. After we eat, I play the bill and we head out.

" Let's get a room at the Plaza, you will love it." I tell Aria.

" Okay." she replies.

We walk into the lobby and go to the check in counter.

" Can I please get a room with two queen beds?" I ask the women at the front desk politely.

" I'm sorry we only have rooms with King sized beds." She answers.

Well this is awkward. I don't want Aria to feel uncomfortable or feel pressured to do anything.

" We can find another hotel." I tell Aria.

" No, it's okay. We will take a room with one king sized bed." She tells the check in lady.

I grin at her stupidly, while the women hands me the keys.


	11. Chapter 11

Aria's POV

I wake up to Ezra sleeping quietly next to me. I wish I could stare at him forever, but we have a plane to catch. I wake him up with a gentle kiss on the lips.

" Aria." He groaned.

" Come on, you can sleep on the plane." I remind him.

" Yeah, but I can't do this." He says while he pulls me in for a long passionate kiss. " Last night was-"

" Amazing." I interrupt. " Now let's go so we don't miss our flight."

" Fine." He says and gets out of bed.

We arrive at the airport just on time. Luckily our flight is only an hour and a half, so we will have the rest of the day to spend in Rosewood. We board the plane and take our seats. Ezra is asleep before the plane even takes off. I decide to join him and I'm asleep in no time.

" **_I know what you did." A deep voice says._**_  
_

**_I cannot identify who the voice belongs too._**

**_" Who are you and what are you talking about." I ask nervously._**

**_" I'm your worst nightmare." The voice replies._**

**_" Noel?" I stutter nervously._**

**_" That's right Aria. You shouldn't have come back you know. Not many people get out of Rosewood alive more than once." Noel says._**

**_Jenna, Noel, and Mona are now standing in front of me. I now realize that my hands are tied behind my back._**

**_" We want to make you pay for what you did." Jenna says._**

I feel two hands gently shaking me.

" Aria, wake up!" Ezra whispers.

I let out a long sigh or relief when I realize it was all just a dream.

" Are you okay?" Ezra asks me.

" Yeah, I'm fine." I reply. " I'm so excited to introduce you to my family."

" I'm excited to meet them." Ezra says grinning nervously.

" They will love you." I assure him.

We get off the plane and retrieve our luggage. I turn around and see Mike waiting for me.

" MIKE!" I shout and run towards him. I give him and big hug and ask, " How are you feeling?"

" I'm actually doing a lot better. My healing process isn't taking nearly as long as the doctors thought it would. I'm so happy your here." Mike says pulling me in for another hug.

I realize that I had momentarily forgot about Ezra.

" Mike this is my boyfriend Ezra." I tell him.

" Hey man, it's so nice to finally meet you." Mike says shaking Ezra's hand.

" Likewise, Aria has told me so much about you." Ezra says.

" We should probably get going, Mom and Dad are waiting for us in the car." Mike says.

Mike leads us towards the parking lot, where my parents are waiting.

" Aria!" I hear my mom shout excitedly.

" Mom, Dad!" I say and hug them.

" I'm so happy you got here safely." My dad tells me.

" I'm so happy to be here!" I reply.

" This is Ezra, my um- boyfriend." I say nervously.

" It's so nice to finally meet you Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery." Ezra says extending him hand.

" It's nice to meet you Ezra." My dad replies.

" Aria has told us so much about you. She did however, forget to mention how cute you are." My mom tells him.

" Mom!" I say blushing.

Ezra smiles at me at laughs.

" Have you two eaten yet? We have lunch reservations at The Grill if you're hungry." My moms tells us.

" No we haven't. The grill sounds delicious." I reply.

The drive into Rosewood from the airport takes about half an hour. The realization that I am finally home just hit me. I stare out the window and look at all the familiar sites. I really hope that this trip is fun and A team free.

Ezra's POV

The drive into Rosewood is fairly quiet. After about half an hour, we pull into the restaurant parking lot. Aria's family seems very nice, but I'm super nervous. When we sit down the conversation starts.

" So Ezra, how old are you?" Byron asks me.

" I just turned twenty-one." I replied.

Byron looked surprised.

" Are you a senior?" Byron questions.

" Yes I am." I reply nervously.

" How did you two meet?" Ella asks us.

" We met at a coffee shop on the first day of school. He turned out to be in my creative writing class." Aria replied.

" I'm guessing you're a book nerd like Aria?" Mike teases.

" You could say that. I'm actually an English major." I tell Mike.

" Really?" Byron asks sounded interested. " What are you planning on doing after you graduate?"

" I would like to be an English professor, and focus on my writing." I reply.

" I actually am an English professor at Hollis, the local college." Byron informs me.

" Ezra is a straight A student." Aria tells her dad proudly.

" That's great, you won't have any trouble finding work after college." Byron says.

" I invited Hanna, Emily, and Spencer over for dinner." Ella tells Aria.

" Thank you so much! I'm so excited to see them." Aria says happily.

After lunch we drive to the Montgomery household. Aria shows me to the guest room and gives me time to settle in. I know that we need to go to the police about Noel. I'm just trying to think about a way to do it without causing any problems for Aria and her friends. The truth always comes out, sooner or later.

**Please Read and review! I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

Aria's POV

I lie on my bed and sigh. It feels so wierd to be back in Rosewood. Nothing seems the same as it was before college, even my own room feels strange and unfamiliar. Things have really changed around here. Everyone I went to school with left and started a new life. Even though so many of them are back, it doesn't feel the same as when we lived here. My childhood is really over and Rosewood will never be the same to me again. Everything that has happened to me over the past few years are now only distant memories. My thoughts are interrupted when I hear a knock on the door.

" Come in." I shout from my bed.

" I just wanted to let you know your friends will be here in about half an hour." My mom told me.

" Thanks Mom." I say and jump off my bed.

I throw on a dress that Emily bought me for my birthday and brush my hair. Before I know it I hear Hanna yelling from the front door.

" ARIA!" I hear her yelling frantically.

I run down stairs and open the door. Before I can say anything she pulls me in for a big hug.

" Hanna, I can't breathe." I manage to say.

" Oh sorry, I'm just so excited to see you!" She says.

" I am too. I've missed you so much! Now that we live so far apart, I have no one to go shopping and get my nails done with." I say laughing.

" Poor baby!" She says and hugs me again.

I just notice that Caleb is standing behind her.

" Caleb! How is my best friends fiancé doing?" I ask enthusiastically.

" Great, I'm happy to be back in Rosewood. I just hope we don't run into the Mona Monster." Caleb joked.

Hanna rolled her eyes and sighed.

" I have a surprise for you." I tell Hanna.

" Really what is it?" Hanna asks curiously.

" Let me get go get it." I say.

I walk over to the guest room and knock on Ezra's door. He answers the door and gives me a kiss.

" What can I do for you?" He asks.

" Hanna and Caleb are here early and I'd like you to meet them. They don't know you're in town yet so Hanna will probably be very surprised." I tell Ezra.

" I'm so excited to meet all off your friends." Ezra tells me.

" Great now let's go." I say pushing him towards the door.

Hanna's eyes nearly pop out of her head when she sees Ezra.

" Best surprise ever." Hanna manages to mumble.

Caleb shoots me a warning look.

" He's mine Hanna." I say putting my around Ezra.

" Oh you must Ezra, Aria's new boy toy." Hanna teases.

" You must be Hanna, the blond shopaholic." Ezra says.

" That's right, and this is my fiancé Caleb." Hanna says pointing towards Caleb.

" Nice to meet you. Are you a book nerd like Aria?" Caleb asks.

" Why does everyone ask me that?" Ezra asks me.

I shrug and giggle.

" Where are Spencer and Emily?" I ask Hanna.

Right on cue, the doorbell rings. I answer the door.

" Hey stranger!" Spencer greets me.

" Don't just stand there, give me a hug!" I tell Spencer.

" What about me?" Hanna asks joining our hug.

" Long time no see." Caleb says to Spencer.

" I missed you all so much!" Spencer tells us.

" Spencer this is my boyfriend Ezra." I introduce her.

" I'm Spencer, Spencer Hastings." She tells Ezra.

" Well Spencer Hastings it's nice to finally meet you." Ezra says.

" Where is Toby?" I ask.

" He is coming with Emily and Paige." Spencer replies.

Within twenty minutes Emily, Paige, and Toby arrive. More hugs are exchanged and I introduce them to Ezra.

" So I was thinking we could all go do something. Unless you want to spend the evening in my living room." I say.

" Let's go see a movie." Emily suggests.

" Please not another chick flick." Toby begs.

" What if we went to the fair?" Hanna suggests.

" Great idea Hanna." Emily says.

We have to take separate cars since we can't fit eight people in one. Caleb, Hanna, Toby, and Spencer go in one car and Emily, Paige, Ezra, and I go in the other.

" I hear they have a new roller coaster with five cork screws." Paige tells us.

" Let's just hope Aria doesn't chicken out." Emily teases.

I'm deathly afraid of roller coasters and Paige and Emily both know it.

" She isn't going to." Ezra says and winks at me.

" I wouldn't bet on that." I tell Ezra.

" I've never been much of a roller coaster person either, but if you go so will I." Ezra says.

" Fine." I say defeated.

As soon as we pull up to the parking lot I know that I have made a big mistake. The biggest drop has to be at least 200 feet. We can hear people screaming from inside our car.

" Ezra I change my mind, I don't want to go!" I say.

" To late, you already agreed." He reminds me.

Both cars unload and get in line to buy tickets. As soon as we walk through the front gate all eyes are on the roller coaster.

" Let's go on that first." Toby says pointing to it.

" Yeah I'd like to get it over with." I say.

" You're going on it Aria? This must be some kind of joke." Spencer says skeptically.

" I'm being held against my will." I say staring at Ezra."

" Okay let's go have some fun." Hanna says excitedly.

Ezra's POV

We are all in line for the roller coaster. It has to be the biggest and fastest one I have ever seen. I look over at Aria, she is as white as a ghost. I squeeze her hand.

" Are you nervous?" I ask her.

" Yes, are you happy." She jokes.

" I'll let you in on a little secret, I'm terrified to ride this thing." I tell her.

" Wow, that makes me feel better." She says sarcastically.

" Let's just count to ten, and hope that that our nerves will disappear." I suggest.

" Okay." She says.

We count to ten and continue to walk forward.

" Last chance to turn around!" A man working on the ride announces.

" Well, we've gotten this far." I tell her.

" Yeah, let's just go." Aria says timidly.

" I promise I'll hold your hand the entire time." I assure her.

I hear Hanna making gagging sounds behind us.

" Oh shut up." Aria says to her.

We get in the car and get strapped in.

" Ezra, I'm scared." Aria says.

" Don't worry I'm right here." I remind her.

Our car starts to move forward, and all off the sudden it stops.

" Get ready we launch in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." The man in the booth says. All of a sudden, the cart takes off as fast as I've ever been. Aria's head is buried in my chest. The next two minutes are a complete blur to me. I'm still shaking when we get off the ride.

" Let's go again!" Aria suggests.

Everyone looks at her like she is crazy.

" No way, there is no way I'm doing that again!" Caleb responds.

Everyone else agrees.

" See Aria, that wasn't so bad." I tell her.

" Really cuz' you were screaming like a girl." She teases.

We spend the rest of the night walking around, going on more rides, and eating cotton candy. At about eleven we leave the park and head home.

" I had so much fun." I tell Aria.

" I know, tonight was the second best night I've ever had." She says winking at me.

As soon as we pull into the Montgomery's street, we see police cars circling around their house.

" What's going on?" Paige asks nervously.

" I have so idea." Aria answers.

As soon as we get out of the car a police approaches us.

" Are any of you Aria Montgomery, Emily Fields, Spencer Hastings , or Hanna Marin." The officer asks.

" I'm Aria and this is a Emily. Why?" Aria asks nervously.

" We would like to talk to you girls about a few things." The police office explains.

" Regarding what?" I ask stepping in front of Aria protectively.

" The murder of Alison Dilaurentis." He answers.


	13. Chapter 13

Aria's POV

" Wh-why? We have been out of Rosewood since August." I say nervously.

" Well the four of you were in Rosewood the night Alison was murdered. In fact, you were with her most of that night." The officer reminds us.

" If you think Aria or her friends have anything to do with Alison's murder you're out of line." Ezra says angrily.

" We are not accusing these girls of anything. We know who killed Alison and we think they deserve to know the truth before it's all over the news." The officer explains.

The girls and I let out a long sigh of relief. A realization washes over me, Allie's killer has been discovered. After all of these years we can finally put the past behind us, and Allie can rest in peace. But what if Noel, Mona, and Jenna had found a way to pin the murder on somebody else? They would be let off of the hook while somebody else was punished for a crime they didn't commit.

" Do you girls mind coming with us to the station?" The officer asks interrupting my thoughts.

" Not at all Sir." Spencer replies.

The drive to the police station is completely silent. The only noise I can hear is Hanna's anxious breathing. I know the girls feel exactly the same way I do. We finally arrive at the police station and are seated in an interrogation room.

" This sure brings back memories." Hanna says breaking the silence.

We all let out a sad laugh.

" Hello girl's how are you all today?" Officer Berry asks us as he enters the room.

" As good as we can be finding out who killed one of our best friends." Spencer snaps.

" I'm sorry you girls have had to go through this for the past couple of years. I'm also sorry that the Rosewood P.D. didn't always do the best job of protecting you, and that they even thought you were capable of killing Alison." Berry says sadly.

" We forgive you." Emily replies.

" Are you sure you're ready to hear this?" Berry asks genuinely concerned.

" We have been ready for three years." I respond.

" We know all about the N.A.T. Club and how they use to film all of the girls in Rosewood, especially you four and Alison. Mrs. Reynolds was going though all of Garret's things the other night and she found some of the videos. There were a lot of things on these old tapes, including what happened on the night of Jenna Marshal's accident." Berry tells us.

The four of us gasp in shock.

" Don't worry, we aren't going to punish you for something Alison did years ago." Berry explains.

" So what happened?" Hanna asks anxiously.

" We saw the rest of the tape of the night Alison was murdered. Noel, Jenna,and Mona were responsible. They ambushed Alison and hit the back of her head with the shovel you were caught with last year. Alison was passed out so it was easy for Noel to bury her in the family's construction site." He finished.

Tears begin to roll down my face. I realize that Emily, Spencer, and Hanna are crying as well. I grab Emily's hand and squeeze it.

" What's going to happen?" Emily asks.

" Jenna, Noel, and Mona have been taken into custody. We have already spoken to the Dilaurentis family and told them the news. I'm assuming that in a couple of hours our discovery will be all over the news." Berry tells us.

" Thank you for telling us." I mange to say through my tears.

" Of course. You girls take care." He says as we exit the room.

" It's over, it's really over." Spencer says.

" I can't believe it." I reply as we all pull in for a group hug.

Our parents are waiting for us outside of the police station. While a police man explains everything to them I run into Ezra's arms.

" What happened?" He asks.

" They found a video of Noel, Jenna, and Mona killing Allie." I explain.

" Are you going to be okay?" He asks me.

" I don't know, am I?" I murmur through my tears.

" Yes." Ezra replies as he strokes my hair.

Our love fest is interrupted by my parents.

" Come on let's get you home." My dad says and hugs me.

As soon as we get in the car, my mother starts crying hysterically.

" What's wrong?" I ask worriedly.

" I'm so sorry Aria. I'm sorry I didn't protect you." She says sobbing.

" You did, I'm safe it's all over." I say trying to comfort her.

" You were stalked and blackmailed by the people who murdered your best friend. I can't count all of the times I trusted Noel with you." She says sadly.

" You couldn't have known. None of this is you or dad's fault." I explain.

" I just love you so much, and I can't stand the idea of losing you." My mom explains.

" I love you too, and you will never lose me." I say and hug her.

Ezra's POV

I am laying down on the Montgomery's spare bed. I feel terrible for Aria and her family. They have gone through so much in the last couple of years. Aria opens the door and walks into the room. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying.

" Can I stay here with you?" She asks me.

" I don't know if that is such a good idea. I wouldn't want to do anything to upset your parents." I explain.

" Please?" She begs.

" Okay, come here." I say.

She gets into bed and buries her face in my chest, soon she is in tears.

" Shhh it's okay." I comfort her.

" I miss her Ezra." She whimpers.

" I know you do." I say gently.

" When will it stop hurting?" She asks.

" I don't know Aria. But I do know that if Allie could talk to you one last time, she would tell you to continue living your life. She wouldn't want you to spend too much time grieving over her, because the past is the past and you can't change it." I answer.

" How do you know? You've never met Alison." She reminds me.

" I know she loved you, because I don't know how she couldn't have. I love you too, and if I were in her position watching you from Heaven, that is what I would want to tell you." I say.

" I love you so much." She says.

" I know." I tease.

" I miss the way things use to be. I miss seeing my family and friends every day. " Aria tells me.

" Going to college across the country must be hard for you." I comment.

" It is, I feel like when I left Rosewood I left so many memories behind." She tells me.

" I guess we will just have to make some new memories in California." I say.

" You mean like the one we made in our hotel in New York?" Aria says smiling.

" Exactly." I reply and smile at her.

" Thank you Ezra." She says.

" For what?" I ask confused.

" For making a rough night a little less rough." Aria answers.

Within ten minutes Aria is sleeping soundly in my arms.

" Goodnight baby." I whisper and kiss her forehead.


	14. Chapter 14

Aria's POV

I wake up to Ezra giggling quietly in his sleep. I smile and check the time on my phone. It is a little after six. As much as I don't want to leave Ezra, I know I need to be in my bed before my parents wake up. I get up to my bedroom and sigh, there is no way I can fall back asleep. I decide to get up and go for a run to clear my mind. I throw on an old pair of tennis shoes and sweatpants. I subconsciously jog to the street where the Hastings and Dilaurentises live. Reporters from all over the country flood the narrow street. Not wanting to talk to any of them, I flee as quickly as possible. After about half an hour of running, I hear a raspy voice cry out to me.

" Aria!" Spencer calls.

" Hey Spencer!" I say and jog over to her.

" Looks like we've both been running." She tells me.

For the first time I realize she is in her running close.

" Yeah, just like old times. You should have called me, we could have run together." I say to her.

" I didn't think you would be awake so early." She says apologetically.

" I couldn't sleep." I explain.

" Neither could I, reporters have been circling around my street since last night." Spencer tells me.

" I know, I was running by your street and I saw them." I tell Spencer.

Our conversation is interrupted by a noisy reporter and her camera crew.

" You must be Spencer Hastings and Aria Montgomery. I'm Katie, would it be okay if I asked you a couple of questions about how you two are feeling?" She asks.

" Absolutely not, Aria and I are unavailable for comment right now." Spencer answers angrily.

" Can we at least get a couple of shots?" I hear the camera man yelling from behind Katie.

" NO!" I yell furiously.

" Before last night, did either of you have any idea who killed Alison?" Katie calls out.

" Aria, is it true you use to date Noel Kahn?" Another reporter yells through all of the commotion.

Spencer and I just stand there like deer caught in the headlights.

I glance over and see Toby's car pull up.

" Get in here quickly." I hear Toby yell to us.

We manage to squeeze through the forest of photographers and reporters. Spencer and I get in Toby's truck and he speeds away.

" What low lives." Toby says.

" I know, don't people have anything better to do than follow us around?" Spencer asks.

" Where do you two want to go?" Toby asks.

" Anywhere but home, reporters are all over." Spencer answers.

" You should come over to my house. We can call Hanna and Emily and start planning Hanna's wedding." I suggest.

" That's a great idea. Hanna will be so excited!" Spencer replies.

Within half an hour the girls and I are sitting in my living room going through all of the wedding magazines we could find.

" I already booked a date at The Plaza Hotel in June." Hanna says excitedly.

" What!?" This gives us hardly any time to prepare." Spencer says anxiously.

We giggle at Spencer's stress level.

" We should go to that wedding shop in Philly and pick out the bridesmaids dresses." Hanna suggests excitedly.

" That's a great idea!" Emily says.

" Okay, be at my house in two hours." Hanna demands.

Hanna, Spencer, and Emily leave my living room excitedly.

" Good morning." Ezra says as he walks into the room.

" Good morning." I reply and kiss him.

" What are your plans for the day?" Ezra asks.

" I'm going to Philly with the girls. We are picking out the bridesmaids dresses for Hanna's wedding." I answer.

" Alone?' My dad asks as he enters the room.

" Not alone, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer are coming." I reply.

" I don't want you four alone in Philly with everything that's going on. Take Ezra with you." My dad says.

" Dad, I'm sure he doesn't want to go dress shopping with four girls." I reply annoyed.

" Then cancel your plans." My dad replies.

" I don't mind going, I've never been to Philly." Ezra says.

" Are you sure?" I ask him.

" Yeah, maybe we can do something after." He suggests.

" I can play tour guide this time." I say causing both of us to giggle.

I call the girls and tell them Ezra is being forced to join us. An hour later the five of us are at Hanna's house ready to go. Ezra and I take a separate car because we are going to dinner after we pick out the dresses.

" Do you mind if I go to a book store or something while you girls try on dresses?" Ezra asks when we arrive in Philly.

" Not at all." I reply.

" I would however, love to see you in a beautiful dress." Ezra says causing me to giggle.

" I guess you will have to wait until June." I tease.

Ezra and I begin to kiss, unfortunately we are interrupted by Hanna honking at us from across the street.

" Get a room." She yells from the car.

Ezra and I begin to giggle.

" See you soon babe." He tells me as I exit the car.

The girls and I walk into the dress shop. After about three hours of searching, we find the perfect dresses. We purchase the dresses and go our separate ways. Ezra and I make our way into a fancy Italian restaurant.

" How was dress shopping?" Ezra asks sweetly.

" It really tired me out, Hanna is hardcore when it comes to shopping." I explain.

" Did you find any good books?" I ask him.

" Not really, I mostly just circled around the city." Ezra tells me.

We make small talk for the rest of the evening.

" We are ready for the check." Ezra tells the waiter after we eat.

When it comes I see a look of panic wash over Ezra's face.

" I left my wallet in the car." Ezra says.

" I'll go get it." I offer.

" No, I'll go." Ezra protests.

" I really need some fresh air." I argue.

" Fine, go." He says defeated.

Our car is parked at the end of the long street. I grab the keys and start to make my way back to Ezra. Before I get very far I hear a familiar voice call out to me.

" Hey Aria." Noel's brother Eric Kahn says to me.

" Hi." I say trying to get away.

Eric steps in front of me aggressively.

" You and your friends have said some things that have gotten my brother into serious trouble." Eric says angrily.

" We didn't say anything, the cops were the people who found the video." I try to explain.

" I'm not so sure I believe that." He replies viciously.

" Have you been drinking?" I ask nervously.

" Why?" Eric asks as he shoves me to the ground.

I try to scream but he covers my mouth. Tears begin to roll down my cheeks when I realize the street is empty.

Eric begins to play with the hem of my shirt. I try to fight him off, but he is probably three times the size of me.

" Please stop." I beg him.

" I'm only giving you what you deserve." He replies cooly.

" What the hell is going on here?" I hear Ezra's voice call out from across the road.

I let out a long sigh of relief. Eric instantly loosens his tight grip on my waist.

" Get the hell away from her." Ezra yells furiously.

" Whose going to make me? Eric challenges.

Ezra runs over to where Eric is holding me. Eric's fist hits Ezra right in the face causing him to fall.

" Ezra!" I call out.

He stays on the ground for a minute, causing Eric to laugh triumphantly. Ezra springs up, looking twice as angry as he was before. He kicks Eric as hard as he can in his shin, causing him to fall forward. Ezra kicks him repeatedly until he is groaning in pain. Ezra picks me up and carries me to the car.

" Are you okay?" He asks me.

" I'm fine." I say trying to hold back tears.

" This is my fault, I shouldn't have let you go out alone at this time of night." Ezra says angrily.

" It's not your fault. Why did you leave the restaurant?" I ask him.

" You were gone longer then I though you would be. I guess I got scared." Ezra confesses.

" Thank you for being there." I say.

" Did he hurt you?" Ezra asks nervously.

"No, he was going too though." I tell Ezra.

"Thank goodness you're okay." He says and wraps his arms around me.

I realize Ezra's left eye is completely black.

" Oh my gosh Ezra!" I gasp in shock.

" What this?" He asks and points to his eye. " I've gotten much worse than this.

" Really?" I ask.

" No." He answers making me laugh.

" Let me drive us home, there is no way that you can." I tell him.

" That's probably a good idea, my head really hurts." Ezra complains.

" I just realized something." I say.

" What?" Ezra asks.

" We forgot to pay the bill!" I reply.

**Sorry it's taken me such a long time to update, I've been really bust with soccer and school. Please review and have a great weekend :)!**


	15. Chapter 15

Aria's POV

I wake up in a cold sweat, recollecting the terrible details of last night. I shudder as I think about what Eric would have done to me, had Ezra not been there. Ezra is already in the kitchen when I finally drag myself out of bed. His eye is more bruised and swollen than it was last night.

" Ezra your eye." I say in shock.

" It got worse over night." He replies.

" I'm so sorry, I feel terrible." I say apologetically.

" Don't worry about it." Ezra says sincerely.

" Don't worry about what?" My mom asks as she enters the kitchen.

Ezra and I look at each other, unsure of what to say.

" Ezra, what happened?" My moms asks gesturing at his swollen eye.

" Did you do that Aria?" Mike asks as he enters the kitchen.

" No, of course not." I answer annoyed.

" Then who did this to him?" My mom asks confused.

" Eric Kahn." I mumble nervously.

" Why would Eric hit Ezra?" Mike questions.

" Aria, tell me what's going on now." My mom demands as my dad enters the room.

" Last night Ezra and I went out to dinner after I went shopping with the girls. After we ate I went to the car because Ezra forgot his wallet, and we needed to pay the check. I saw Eric Kahn standing on the street, he had obviously been drinking. Eric started to yell and blame me for his brother's arrest. Before I could do anything he pinned me to the ground." I say with tears running down my face.

" Where the hell were you when all of this was happening?" My dad yells angrily at Ezra.

" Relax, he came outside before Eric could do anything to me. That is how Ezra got his black eye." I explain.

" Thank goodness." My mom says as my dad lets out a sigh of relief.

" Rosewood is not safe for you Aria. There is way to much going on with Alison's case. I want you and Ezra to go back to California as soon as possible." My dad tells me.

" What? I don't want to leave, we just got here." I say whilst more tears begin to fall down my face.

" Your father is right Aria. As much we want you here, it's our job to do our best to protect you." My mother says.

" Can't we just have the police deal with Eric." Mike begs.

" Believe me we will, but there are still people around here that have close ties with Noel." My dad explains.

" I'll go pack." I say and exit the kitchen.

I call Emily, Spencer, and Hanna to tell them a tearful goodbye. We promise to call each other as much as we can, and agree to bond in New York at Hanna's wedding. I look around my empty room one last time. I think about all of the wonderful memories I have had in this room and leave sadly. The drive to the airport is quiet, and very tense. I look out the window, and observe every little detail of the small town I grew up in. So many things have happened here, good and bad. We pull up to the town's small airport and make our way to security. All of my family members hug me lovingly as we say our final goodbyes.

Ezra's POV

While Aria is saying goodbye to Mike and her Mother, Byron pulls me aside.

" What's up?" I ask nervously.

" Promise me you will look out for Aria. I know it doesn't always seem like it, but she is very fragile." Byron says to me.

" I promise I will." I say honestly.

" Thank you." He says and gives my hand a parting shake.

The whole plane ride Aria is silent. I can tell she is hurting, but I want to give her the space she needs. When we finally arrive in California, I drive Aria to her apartment near campus and kiss her goodnight. When I arrive at my apartment I realize it seems lonely without her presence. I climb into bed, wishing Aria was by my side. It's a struggle to fall asleep, but eventually sleep overtakes my exhausted body. A couple of hours later I hear persistent knocking on my door. I drag myself out of bed to see Aria standing outside soaking wet from the rain. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying, and her makeup is smudged all around her face. Even though she is a mess, she has never looked so beautiful to me.

" Ezra." She mumbles and embraces me.

" Aria, what are you doing here?" I ask confused.

" I'm sorry If woke you up. I just really need you." She says timidly.

" It's okay, I need you too." I say and wrap my arms around her.

For the first time, I see the fragile girl her father described to me. Aria is someone who needs to be loved, and nurtured. She has so much love to return, and so much to offer the world.

" Let's get you out of these wet closes." I whisper to her gently.

Aria and I walk into my bedroom hand in hand. She pulls one of my old shirts out of my drawer and puts it on.

" This shirt smells just like you." She says and makes her way to the bed.

I give her a gentile kiss in response.

" I'm sorry that you didn't exactly get the trip you were anticipating." I say to Aria.

" It's okay. I just am feeling homesick and we haven't even been gone twelve hours." She explains.

" I use to feel that way." I tell Aria.

" How did you get over it?" She asks curiously.

" Have you ever heard the expression home is where the heart is?" I ask her.

Aria nods her head in response.

" I found my home that day in the coffee shop when I met you because my heart belongs to you. I feel like as long as I have you by my side, everything will be okay." I explain.

" Even though pieces of my heart belong to my friends and family, a big piece of it belongs to you. You are part of me now, you are my first real love." Aria says in response.

" I hope I can also be your last." I say to Aria.

" You will be, I can't imagine living without you." She says and snuggles closer to me.

" Don't worry, you will never need to." I say in response.

Within a couple of minutes, Aria is sleeping soundly in my arms. I kiss her forehead and fall asleep for the second time that night.

**Hello everybody! I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner. I've been traveling across the country for soccer tournaments and life has been very hectic. I hope you all enjoyed this fluffy chapter. Just so you all know, things are going to get very tense in the next couple of chapters. Please review, I really love everyone who does! Have a nice evening. **


	16. Chapter 16

Ezra's POV

I wake up with my beautiful girlfriend in my arms, sleeping soundly. I kiss her forehead and look at the clock next to my bed. Holy crap it's 10:30! Not wanting to wake up Aria, I quietly drag myself out of bed. When I glance at my phone, I realize Hardy has tried calling me over ten times since I fell asleep. Being cautious of Aria, I take my phone into the bathroom so I can call Hardy.

" Hey Hardy." I say when he answers his phone.

" Hey man." Hardy sniffles through the phone, obviously he has been crying.

" What's wrong." I ask nervously.

" Kelly and I got into a huge argument last night. She broke off the engagement and walked out on me." Hardy says breaking down.

" Calm down Hardy. Have you tried calling her?" I ask.

" She is never going to forgive me." He answers devastated.

" What did you do?" I ask curiously.

" It doesn't matter." He answers.

" Well whatever it is, I'm sure you can work it out." I say trying to encourage him.

" We can't." Hardy snaps.

" I'm taking Aria to a party at Snookers tonight. Why don't you come with us?" I ask.

" I'm so sick of this Ezra." Hardy says furiously through the phone.

" What?" I ask confused.

" Every time I try to talk to you it's always Aria this, Aria that. When are you going to realize that she is just some stupid girl?" He yells through the phone.

" She is not, don't talk about her that way." I say getting angry myself.

" I needed you last night, and you were to busy with her to even answer my calls!" Hardy says.

" Aria needed me to, and I didn't even realize you called untill this morning!" I say defensively.

" Whatever." Hardy says and hangs up the phone.

I let out a long sigh and bury my head in my hands. When I enter the bedroom, I realize that Aria has woken up.

" Are you okay? I heard you yelling in the bathroom, you seemed upset." Aria says concerned.

I don't want to burden Aria with my problems, she has enough of her own.

" I'm fine." I say and climb into bed with her.

" If you say so." She says and snuggles up next to me.

" There is a big party at Snookers tonight, do you want to go with me?" I ask Aria.

" I don't know, I'm not really into parties." She admits.

" Why?" I ask as I stroke my fingers through her hair.

" Because they involve me being social, which I'm not." She explains.

" You don't need to be social, we can hang out the entire time." I tell her.

" That doesn't sound to bad." She admits.

" Great than it's a date." I say excitedly.

Aria's POV

I stand in front of the mirror in my apartment. I'm wearing a cute party dress, and the highest heels I can walk in. My dark hair is curled, and my makeup is smudged to perfection. I want to look my absolute best for my incredible boyfriend. I hear Ezra knock on my door.

" You look incredible." He says when I answer.

" So do you." I say blushing.

I wrap my arms around Ezra's neck, and kiss him passionately.

" As much as I'd like to continue this, we should probably get going." Ezra says pulling away from me.

" Fine." I say in a teasing voice.

" Let's go." Ezra says as he holds the door open for me.

Line Break

Ezra and I sit at the bar with a group of his friends, all of them are very kind and fun.

" Are Hardy and Kelly coming?" Ezra's friend Tim asks him.

" I don't think so." Ezra answers.

" Would you like anything to drink?" The bartender asks me.

" No thank you." I reply politely.

" Come on Aria, have some fun!" A girl named Stacy tells me.

" Aria, you don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable with." Ezra says and wraps his arms around me protectively.

" What the heck, get me a couple of shots." I tell the bartender, hoping it will relieve some of my stress.

The whole group cheers, aside from Ezra.

A few drinks later, I start to get tipsy. I reach out for another drink, but Ezra stops me.

" Ar, I think you've had enough." He warns.

" Who are you, her father." Tim asks causing Ezra to roll his eyes.

" Maybe we should go home." Ezra tells me worriedly.

" No! Let's dance!" I say and drag Ezra on to the dance floor.

Ezra holds me tightly, trying to keep me separated from the group of college boys grinding against me.

" Aria, can we please talk?" Ezra yells over the music.

" Sure." I say as he pulls me outside.

" I want to leave." Ezra tells me.

" Why?" I ask confused.

" Because every guy in the bar is all over you, and you're to drunk to realize it." He snaps angrily.

" Huh." I stutter.

" Come on Aria, I'm taking you home." Ezra says and grabs my hand.

" I'm having fun, stop being so controlling." I shout angrily.

" You're drunk!" He yells back.

" I am not!" I protest.

" Really, what's two plus two?" Ezra asks me.

" Um, seven?" I stutter.

" Aria, come with me now!" He yells.

" You're not the boss of me." I yell.

I take off my heals and run back into the bar as quickly as I can. Before I can stop myself I start to cry. I cry for Alison. I cry because I miss my friends and family. I cry because I have no idea what's going on. But mostly, I cry because Ezra is angry at me.

" A- Aria." I hear a man stutter.

I realize the man is Hardy.

" What are you doing here? Ezra told me you couldn't come." I say confused.

We both start to laugh stupidly.

" You look good." Hard tells me.

"You look better." I reply.

Before I know it, Hardy begins to kiss me passionately. Unsure of what to do, I kiss him back harder. Soon we are in a full on make out session in the middle of the dance floor.

" Aria!" I hear Ezra call to me.

I turn around just in time to see the hurt that fills his eyes.

" Ezra!" I say, still in shock.

" How could either one of you do this to me." Ezra says angrily.

" I'm so sorry." I manage to say.

" Whatever Aria, we are finished." He says and storms out of the room.

A loud cry escapes my body. I slap Hardy across the face as hard as I can, and run to find Ezra.

Ezra's POV

Tears stream down my face as soon as I get in my car. How did I let my best friend and the woman I love so much slip away? The better question is how could they have done this to me? No answer would ease the feeling of devastation and betrayal I'm holding in my heart. Hardy and I have been best friends since high school, we have always had each others backs. What changed that? And how do I even begin to process my mixed feelings towards Aria right now. She has been acting strange since the moment we entered the bar. Aria is such a mature and cautious girl. I can't believe she would get so wrapped up in the party, and get so drunk! But the fact that she cheated on me with my best friend hurt more than anything else. After the conversation we had last night, I thought she had the same love for me as I do for her. Evidently I'm sadly mistaken, Hardy was right. Maybe she didn't mean to do what she did, she was drunk after all. Whether she did or didn't, her actions still hurt. I haven't been so torn up over a girl since Jackie and I broke up. But I feel 1000 times worse this time. I still love Aria, even though there is a good chance that she doesn't love me back. Even though I'm furious with her, I can't leave her alone at that party. I promised Aria's dad that I would take care of her. I turn my car around and head back to The bar. All of the sudden I see a drunk driver driving on the wrong side of the road, in my direction. I try to get off the lane, but I'm far to late. A shriek escapes my lips as our cars crash into each other with force. My car begins to flip, and I feel my head hit the back of something hard. Soon, my short life flashes before my eyes.

" Aria." Is the last word I mumble before everything around me fades away.


	17. Chapter 17

Aria's POV

I expect Ezra's strong arms to be around me as my eyes flutter open. Instead I'm alone on a big empty couch. The details of last night slowly come back to me. The last thing I remember was kissing Hardy, leaving Ezra heartbroken. I kissed the man I love's best friend! I never thought I would be capable of hurting someone as much as I hurt Ezra last night. I need to begg for his forgiveness because he is the most amazing thing in my life right now.

" You're awake." A girl's voice calls out to me.

I realize that the voice belongs to Jackie Monlina.

" What happened?" I ask.

" I found you last night drunk, and crying hysterically in the parking lot. I drove you to my apartment so you wouldn't do anything stupid." She explains.

" I thought you hated me." I say confused.

" I thought I did too. When we first met I was dating Ezra and he had eyes for you. I blamed you for that when really it wasn't your fault." Jackie tells me.

" Did you love Ezra?" I ask guiltily.

" Yes, but not in the way you think. Ezra was the first boyfriend I've ever had, so he holds a very special place in my heart. I still care about him and love him, just not in a romantic way." Jackie explains.

" I know how you feel. I sometimes think about my first boyfriend, even though he tried to kill me and my best friends." I say to Jackie as she stares at me in shock.

" Yeah, it's complicated." I say.

" Life's complicated." Jackie tells me.

" Why did you help me?" I ask.

" Again, I care about Ezra. You make him happy, so I couldn't let anything happen to you." Jackie says.

" I didn't make him happy last night." I say with tears running down my face.

" What happened?" Jackie asks.

" Ezra did something that really upset me, I was furious and extremely drunk. I wasn't thinking clearly and I made out with Hardy right in front of Ezra." I explain.

" How could you do that to him?" Jackie asks with a hint of anger in her voice.

" I don't know, I was drunk. Ezra might never forgive me, and I will never forgive myself." I say with tears running down my face.

" You were drunk Aria, you didn't mean to hurt anybody." Jackie comforts me.

" That's the thing, I have been hurting so much for such a long time. I was mad at Ezra and I wanted him to feel some of that pain. That's why I kissed Hardy. I think being drunk is what made me realize how I've been feeling." I say sadly.

" Why did you want to hurt Ezra though?" Jackie asks confused.

" Because when I'm with Ezra the pain seems to disappear. When we fought at the party, all the pain came back. I thought he was the person inflicting those feelings on me when in reality those feelings were always there, he just covered them up." I say crying.

" It's okay Aria." Jackie says and hugs me.

" It's not okay, I've hurt someone I love so much. I've probably lost him forever." I say sadly.

" Ezra loves you Aria. If you tell him what you just told me I know he will forgive you." Jackie says.

" I can't face him." I admit.

" Yes, you can. Get off the couch, I'm taking you to his apartment now." Jackie says as she walks out the door.

" Hey Jackie, thanks." I say timidly.

" No problem." She says and smiles at me.

line break

When Jackie and I pull up to Ezra's apartment complex, reporters and police officers flood the area. I feel like I'm in Rosewood more everyday.

" I wonder what's going on." I say to Jackie.

She shrugs and walks into the building. When we finally reach Ezra's apartment, I knock on the door but nobody answers. An old woman walks out of the apartment next door.

" Do you know him?" The old woman asks me.

" Yeah he is my boyfriend." I say.

" I'm so sorry honey." The woman says sympathetically.

" Why?" I ask confused.

" You haven't heard?" The woman says as her face falls.

" Heard what?" I ask confused.

" A drunk driver collided with his car last night. Ezra is in ICU the doctors don't think there is much hope." The woman explains.

My heart seems to fly out of my numb body. The whole world looks sad and shaky.

" Ezra, no!" I shout.

Within moments I am in Jackie's arms bawling hysterically. Despite their efforts, nobody can do anything to soothe me. This was the last straw. I just stand there hyperventilating until my legs give out on my body and I fall forward.

" I think she is having a panic attack." A man yells from the large crowd surrounding me.

" I'm getting her a doctor." Someone else says.

They can do anything they want to me, nothing matters anymore. My light at the end of the tunnel might be turned off forever.

Ezra's POV

I stand in a beautiful spring field illuminated by the sun's bright light. The love of my life Aria Montgomery approaches me. I stare at her beautiful youthful body for what seems like eternity. When I try to grab her, she steps way back. I chase after her, until she leaves the field completely. As soon as she leaves the moon replaces the bright sun. The luscious green grass underneath my feet turns into snow, and the colorful leaves on the tall trees disappear. The warmth inside of me floods out, and I am left feeling cold and empty.

" Aria, come back. I still love you." I cry out.

Nobody answers me. I am left alone in the winter field wondering how I let my light slip away.

Aria's POV

" You're awake." An old man says to me.

I realize that I am in a hospital bed, the man is probably my doctor.

" Why am I here?" I ask the man.

" You had a nervous breakdown in front of your boyfriend's apartment." My doctor explains.

" Where is Ezra?" I ask.

" He is still in ICU, but you can't worry about him now." The doctor tells me.

" I need him." I say weakly.

" You're going to be okay." The doctor replies.

" Where is Jackie?" I ask.

" I'll go get her for you." The doctor says.

" I called your parents, they are getting on the next flight to San Francisco." Jackie tells me as she enters the room.

" Thank you." I say.

A couple of minutes later a nurse runs into our room.

" Is Dr. Barry in here?" The nurse asks us.

" No, he just left." Jackie replies.

The nurse pulls out a device as says; " We need medical help in room 329. One of the young men involved in the car accident just passed away."

**Please tell me what you all think! I really appreciate everyone's reviews. **


	18. Chapter 18

Aria's POV

" We need medical help in room 309, one of the young men involved in the car accident just passed away." The nurse says into her device.

When I hear these dreadful words, I can literally feel my delicate heart shattering into a million pieces. A small whimper escapes my lips before I am crying hysterically. Jackie wraps her arms around my shaking body, while the nurse just stares at me unsure of what to do.

" Is the man who passed away Ezra Fitz?" Jackie asks trying to hold back tears.

" No, it is the drunk driver." The nurse tells us.

I gasp in relief. Ezra is still alive, there is still a slimmer of hope left for him.

" What is Ezra's condition like?" Jackie asks the nurse.

" He is still in a very critical condition. We don't know enough yet to determine whether or not he will survive. If he does survive we don't know what effect his injuries will have on him in the future." The nurse tells us.

" Can I please see him?" I ask the nurse weakly.

" I'm sorry but only immediate family can visit him at this time." The nurse tells me.

" His immediate family isn't in the picture." Jackie tells the nurse.

" Again, I'm sorry but you can't visit Ezra at this time. Besides, you need to rest." The nurse tells me as she leaves the room.

" She is right Aria. Get some sleep, I'll wake you up when your mom and dad get here." Jackie says.

" Okay." I say sadly as I being to drift off.

_I am transported back to Rosewood. I am standing behind the Hastings's barn, which is the last place I ever saw Alison alive. I gasp in shock when I see Alison Dilaurentis standing in front of me smiling._

_" Alison!" I cry out to her._

_" Hey Aria!" She says back._

_I run over to Allie and give her a big hug. _

_" I've missed you so much." I say sadly._

_" I know you have. I'm sorry to say that I haven't missed you, I watch you and the girls every second of everyday." Alison tells me._

_" You do?" I ask._

_" Yes. I've seen everything you have been through with A, Noel, and all of your other little secrets." Alison says winking at me._

_" Why are you just visiting me now?" I ask confused._

_" Because you're close to breaking Aria. I need to talk some sense into you before it's to late." Alison tells me._

_" Can you see Ezra?" I ask._

_Alison gives me a slow nod._

_" Is he okay?" I ask on the verge of tears._

_" He is alive if that's what you are asking me." Alison answers._

_" Will he stay alive?" I ask._

_" I don't know, I can't predict the future." She answers._

_" This is all my fault." I say crying._

_" It's not your fault Aria." Alison comforts me._

_" Yes it is. If I hadn't kissed Hardy, Ezra never wold have left the party and the drunk driver never would have collided with him." I tell Alison._

_" I guess it is your fault." Alison tells me._

_I begin to cry even more._

_" I also blame your dad, if he hadn't made you leave Rosewood none of this would have happened. And what about Jackie, if she could hold onto her man Ezra would have never been in a relationship with you. Maybe if one of Ezra's friends would have caught him leaving the party they would have talked to him for a couple of minutes, then the drunk driver and Ezra wouldn't have ever been on the same lane. If Ezra's " best friend" wouldn't have kissed you he wouldn't be in the hospital. Another person whose to blame is the drunk driver. If he hadn't been driving under the influence Ezra would be fine." Alison tells me._

_I stare at her for a minute before Alison begins to speak again._

_" Do you see it now Aria? So many things could have prevented the accident, just like so many things could have prevented my death. I know you believe that both of these things are your fault, but you're wrong." Alison says to me._

_" I don't know what I'll do if I lose Ezra. I've already lost my best friend, and now I might lose my boyfriend. I don't think I'm strong enough to go on." I say sadly._

_" That's not true Aria. You're not a girl who is going to go down without a fight. In seventh grade I chose YOU to be my friend, because you are special Aria. You're strong, smart, and beautiful. You were all of these things before you had me or Ezra." Alison tells me._

_" Thank you." I manage to say._

_" You need to stop worrying about the past, there is nothing you can do to change it. Focus on changing your future, do everything in your power to make things right with Ezra." Alison encourages me. _

_" I will." I say hugging Alison._

_" Goodbye Aria." She says._

_" Wait, will I ever see you again?" I ask._

_" Not in This lifetime. But I'll see you and I will always be with you and the girls. I will be watching when Hanna and Caleb walk down the aisle together, cheering when Emily wins an Olympic gold medal, smiling when Spencer graduates from law school, and reading when you publish your first novel." Alison says to me._

_" I'll carry you with me wherever I go." I say to Alison._

_" Good. Now go make things right." Alison says as she begins to walk away._

_" Allie, wait!" I cry out._

_" What Aria?" She asks._

_" Goodbye, not forever but in this lifetime. Thank you for being my friend." I say before Alison vanishes._

Line Break

" Aria." I hear my dad's gentile voice say.

" Hey Dad." I say as I force myself awake.

" How are you doing baby?" He asks worriedly.

" Good. When can I see Ezra?" I ask.

" Let's focusing on getting you better first." He responds.

" The only thing that will make me better is seeing him." I tell my dad.

" Your mother and I will see what we can do." My dad says.

" Thank you." I say to him.

" By the way there is a young man outside who is begging to see you." My dad tells me.

" Who is it?" I ask curiously.

" He says his name is Hardy." My dad tells me.

The guilt and pain that once filled my body is now replaced with anger. What could Hardy want from me?

**What did you guys think? Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

Aria's POV

" Tell Hardy that I don't want him anywhere near me and Ezra." I say to my dad angrily.

" He seems very eager to see you." My dad says tentatively.

" I don't care, keep him away from me." I respond.

" Okay." My dad says as he kisses my forehead.

" Aria!" My mom says as she enters my hospital room.

" Hey Mom." I say weakly.

" You poor thing." She says as she wraps her loving arms around me.

" Have you heard anything about Ezra?" I ask nervously.

" No. I'm so sorry honey." She says sadly.

" It's okay. Do you know when I can leave this hospital room?" I ask.

" The doctor said you could leave in a couple of hours." My mom tells me.

" Thank God!" I say relieved.

" We are going to go get you some food, we will see you in a couple of hours." My dad tells me.

" Okay, I love you." I say as my parents leave my hospital room.

A couple of minutes later I hear someone entering my hospital room.

" Who's there?" I cry out fearfully.

I begin to panick when I don't get an answer. I can tell somebody is fiddling with the lock on my door. After a couple of seconds, the door opens.

" Hardy!" I say surprised.

" How are you feeling?" He asks concerned.

" Get out." I answer angrily.

" I need to talk to you." He argues.

" I said get out! If you're still here in 3 seconds I'm going to scream." I tell him.

" Aria come on." Hardy says annoyed.

I begin to count," One, two,..."

" What if I told you that I can help you see Ezra." Hardy says interrupting me.

" You can? I ask doubtfully.

" Yes, but first let me talk to you." Hardy answers.

" Fine." I say defeated.

" First of all let me just say that kissing you was way out of line." He says.

" Yeah, you're right about that." I say cooly.

" Ezra is my best friend and I never should have made a move on his girlfriend." Hardy tells me sadly.

" Why did you then?" I ask.

" You have to understand that we have been best friends since high school. Ezra and I use to do everything together, and then you came into his life. Ezra found this beautiful girl that is crazy about him, while I'm still jumping from girl to girl. I'll admit I was a little jealous. The day of Ezra's accident my girlfriend broke up with me, I really needed him and he was busy comforting you. I drank way to much at the party and lost all of my perspective. I didn't want to be the only person who was hurting and I thought kissing you would upset Ezra. Now he is seriously hurt and it's all my fault." Hardy says whilst a single tear rolls down his cheek.

"Hardy, it's not all your fault. I was drinking irresponsibly and I made the decision to kiss you back." I say sadly.

" I'm sorry I put you in that position." Hardy tells me.

" It's okay, I forgive you." I say.

" You really are an amazing girl Aria. I can see why Ezra is so crazy about you." He tells me.

" I doubt he is that crazy about me anymore." I say as tears begin to roll down my face.

" Ezra will forgive you, everything is going to be okay." Hardy says comforting me.

" I just wish I could see him." I explain.

" Jackie and I have been working on that. After hours of persuasion, Ezra's doctor agreed that it would be okay for you to visit Ezra." Hardy says grinning.

" Really, when!?" I ask excitedly.

" As soon as you decide to get out of your hospital bed!" Hardy tells me.

" Thank you so much!" I say as I give him a hug.

Hardy leaves me alone in my hospital room so I can change into the clothes my mom brought for me. When I walk out of the room, I catch Hardy and Jackie in the middle of a full on make-out session right here in the hospital.

" Umm guys." I say awkwardly.

Jackie immediately breaks the heated kiss and says, " Hey Aria."

I'm glad Ezra didn't have to witness that! As soon as the three of us get to Ezra's hospital room, an angry look washes over Hardy's face. I look up and see a couple a little older then my parents talking to Ezra's nurse. Hardy immediately leaves my side and charges over to where the couple is standing.

" Who are they?" I ask Jackie curiously.

" Those are Ezra's parents." Jackie says angrily.

" What the Hell are you doing here?" Hardy asks them angrily.

" Ezra is our son, we have the right to see him." Ezra's mom tells Hardy.

" You two lost that right after you practically disowned him! You two haven't been there for him at all these last couple of years. Where were you when he was being flown from a helicopter into this hospital!" Hardy yells furiously.

" Hardy, calm down." Jackie tells him.

" Thank you Jackie." Ezra's dad says.

" If you will excuse us, we are going to go see our son." Ezra's mom says rudely.

" No you aren't! Aria has been here waiting to see him since he was admitted into the hospital." Jackie says angrily.

" Are you Aria." Mr. Fitz asks me.

I nod my head shyly.

" She is Ezra's girlfriend. You know, the one that let Ezra stay with her over Christmas break because his own parents were to good for him." Hardy says hysterically.

Ezra's dad throws a hard punch at Hardy's face.

" Stop!" I yell angrily.

Ezra's angry dad is about to hit me, but luckily a security guard comes and grabs him before he is able to touch me. Both of Ezra's parents are immediately kicked out of the hospital.

" Are you okay?" Hardy asks concerned.

" I'm fine." I reply shaken.

A nurse approaches us and asks, "Are you here to see Ezra Fitz?"

" We are, can you please tell us what his condition is like?" Hardy asks.

" Ezra has a terrible concussion, and some swelling in his brain. Luckily he doesn't have any brain damage, but him memory of the accident might be a little shaky. He also has three broken ribs, and a very badly broken leg." The nurse tells us.

" He is going to be okay!" I say with tears rolling down my face.

" We have him in medically induced a coma so he won't feel a lot of pain." The nurse tells me.

The nurse walks us up to Ezra's room and opens the door.

" Aren't you coming?" I ask Hardy and Jackie when they remain in the hospital chairs.

" We can see him later, it's probably better for you to be alone." Hardy tells me.

" Are you sure?" I ask.

" Yes, now go!" Jackie tells me.

" Okay. Thank you two so much for everything." I say.

When I'm finally in Ezra's hospital room, I see his lifeless body connected to a bunch of tubes. Cuts and bruises cover his fragile body. Ezra usually seems so strong, seeing him in this condition really shocks me. I begin to sob uncontrollably as I walk over to his hospital bed.

" I'm so sorry." I whisper before I gently kiss his cheek.

I hover over Ezra and admire how peaceful he looks. All of the sudden I see Ezra's beautiful blue eyes flutter open.

" Ezra!" I cry out through my tears as I wrap my arms around him.

Ezra winces in pain at my touch.

" I'm so sorry." I say referring to the pain I caused him and my kiss with Hardy.

A boyish smile washes over Ezra's face.

" It's okay." Ezra says as he kisses me passionately.

" I've been so worried about you." I tell Ezra.

" Come lie down next to me." Ezra orders.

I lie on his hospital bed as he strokes my hair gently.

I see a few tears fall from his eyes.

" Are you in pain?" I ask worriedly.

" Yes, but that's not why I'm upset." He admits.

I know what's coming next, I'm going to have to beg Ezra for my forgiveness.

" I'm so sorry Aria." He tells me.

" What are you sorry for?" I ask genuinely confused.

" For getting in a car accident with you in the passenger seat! You could have been killed! I'm so happy you're safe. You aren't hurt are you?" Ezra asks me worriedly.

" What are you talking about? I wasn't in the car!" I tell Ezra.

" You weren't?" He asks confused.

" No, I was still at the party." I explain.

" Thank God!" Ezra says as he pulls me in for a kiss.

" What were you still doing at the party?" Ezra asks.

" You don't remember?" I ask nervously.

" The last thing I remember was picking you up from your apartment. I have a memory of being in a flipped car with blood everywhere, I saw your face before I blacked out." Ezra tells me.

Guilt overtakes my body. He doesn't remember me kissing Hardy!

" I love you so much." Ezra says interrupting my thoughts.

" I love you too. I promise I'm going to be there for you every day during your recovery, I'll take good care of you." I tell Ezra.

" Just stay here with me." Ezra says as we fall asleep intertwined with each other.

**What do you all think? Ezra is finally awake! Should Aria tells him the truth about his accident? Please review!**


	20. Chapter 20

Ezra's POV

It has been almost two weeks since I woke up from my accident. This morning my doctor delivered the good news that I can leave the hospital sometime today. I was beyond thrilled when I got this news. These last two weeks have been the longest of my entire life. I could never leave my hospital room or eat anything decent for that mater. I think the only thing that has kept me sane is Aria's loving presence. The only time she isn't with me in this dreadful room is when she goes to Berkley for her classes. At first she refused to go to any of her classes, but I reminded her how important it is for her to do well in college. Nevertheless, I miss Aria like crazy when ever she leaves. She is the only thing that keeps my grey hospital room bright enough to live in. Aria interrupts my thoughts when she enters my hospital room.

" Hey babe." Aria says as she kisses my cheek.

" Hey, I've missed you." I say to her.

" I've missed you too. Are you excited to sleep in your own bed again?" Aria asks.

" I would be more excited if you were sleeping in it with me." I say causing Aria to blush.

" I know the doctors say that it's okay for you go home, but you still seem so sore and beat up. I hate the idea of you being alone with nobody to take care of you. Can I move in with you until you're fully recovered?" Aria asks me.

" I'm not sure if that's a good idea Aria. You've already done so much for me, and I wouldn't want to burden you with my problems." I confess.

" Ezra I love you, don't ever think that you are a burden." Aria tells me sweetly.

" I love you too." I say before kissing her.

" So is that a yes? Aria asks.

" I can't say no to you!" I tell Aria before we start another heated make-out session.

Later that Day

The moment has finally arrived, I'm being discharged from the hospital! Hardy and Jackie are giving me a ride back to my apartment because Aria has an evening class. So far, the entire drive home has consisted of my best friend and ex-girlfriend flirting with each other. Even though I'm happy that I've made amends with both of them, seeing them together is something that I will never get use to. When we finally arive at my appartment I hear soft romantic music coming from inside. I shoot Hardy a confused look.

" You're welcome." Hardy says before he dashes off with Jackie.

I open the door to Aria a holding roses and wearing a stunning red dress.

" Welcome home honey." She says seductively.

" Aria? I though you had a class!" I say surprised.

" I wanted to surprise you." She explains.

" It definitely worked! What smells so good?" I ask Aria.

" I'm cooking your favorite dish, enhanced macaroni and cheese!" Aria says grinning.

" So you're cooking fettuccine but you don't want me to get my hopes up." I conclude.

" You know me so well." Aria says as the sits down with me on the couch.

" My apartment look cleaner now than it was when I left it." I observe.

" I had the chance to do some cleaning while you were in the hospital." Aria explains.

" Aria you really didn't have to do all of this." I tell her.

" I wanted to." Aria says as she wraps her arms around me lovingly.

" You're so sweet." I tell her as we begin to kiss.

Our kiss is interrupted when the kitchen timer goes off.

" Do you need any help?" I ask Aria as she gets off of the couch.

" I've got it babe, just relax." She insists.

Soon Aria comes back to the couch with two steaming hot plates of her "enhanced macaroni and cheese."

" This is delicious." I say as I take my first bite.

" Do you remember the first time you cooked for me?" Aria asks giggling.

" How could I forget? I burnt the food and set the fire alarm off. That probably gave you a great first impression of me." I say sarcastically.

" It did actually. Cooking definetly isn't your thing, but I thought it was so sweet that you tried. You were the first boy that ever tried to make me dinner." Aria tells me.

" I don't believe you." I tease.

" Believe it and be happy that you didn't give me food poisoning." Aria jokes.

Our conversation is interrupted when " _Happiness" _by The Fray comes on over the radio.

" I love this song." Aria tells me.

" Can I have this dance?" I ask as I offer Aria my hand.

" Of course you may." Aria says as she stands up.

I put my hands on her hips, while she reaches up to wrap her arms around my shoulders. Aria rests her head against my chest as we waltz around my living room together.

" I love you so much, thank you for everything." I tell Aria when the song ends.

" You're welcome." Aria says as I lift her up to carry her to my bed.

Aria's POV

My romantic evening with Ezra has been amazing. After our slow dance in the living room things heated up very quickly. After making love for nearly two hours, we both decided to go to sleep. The only problem is that I can't sleep. My guilt has nearly eaten me alive! Hardy and I decided against telling Ezra about our kiss, even though I wish that I had the courage to tell him the truth. I'm just so afraid that he will he will hate me. I remember how hurt Ezra seemed when he saw me kissing Hardy, I don't want to put him through that pain again. I am also worried that Ezra will think that the strong feelings I have for him aren't there. Ezra's soft breathing fills his quiet bedroom, his chest moves up and down every time he takes a breath. Ezra looks so content and at peace, he has no idea what an idiot his girlfriend is. Before I can stop myself I burst into tears, Ezra's crystal blue eyes immediately jolt open when he hears my whimpering.

" Honey, what's wrong." Ezra asks concerned.

" N-nothing." I mumble through my tears.

" Did you have a nightmare?" He asks as he takes me in his comforting arms.

I shake my head sadly.

" Did I do something to hurt or upset you?" Ezra asks me worriedly.

" You couldn't if you tried." I tell him.

" Please tell me what's bothering you so I can fix it." Ezra begs.

"It's nothing, please stop." I say to him.

" Stop what?" He asks confused.

" Stop being so nice to me all the time!" I snap.

" I'm sorry. You just seem so upset, and it's breaking my heart." Ezra tells me gently.

" It's not the first time." I say sadly.

" That you've been upset?" Ezra asks concerned.

" No, that I've broken your heart!" I say I through my tears.

" You've never broken my heart! What are you talking about?" Ezra asks confused.

" I can't tell you." I say apologetically.

" Why not?" Ezra presses.

" Because you will hate me, and I can't let you slip away from me." I explain.

" I could never hate you Aria. Whatever it is, you can tell me." Ezra says gently.

" It's my fault you were in the accident! You could have been killed because of me." I say as I sob hysterically.

" Aria it wasn't your fault! That's absolutely ridiculous!" Ezra tells me.

The fact that he can't see my flaws makes me cry harder.

" Sh-sh. It's okay, everything's going to be okay." He says attempting to soothe me.

" It's not okay Ezra! You've been the perfect boyfriend and have stuck with me through all of my baggage! I really don't deserve you." I explain sadly.

" Don't say that Aria, you're the most amazing girlfriend in the world!" Ezra tells me.

" I'm not your girlfriend anymore Ezra!" I say sadly.

" Are you breaking up with me?" Ezra asks devastated.

" No, you broke up with me!" I say upset.

" What? No I didn't! Why would I break up with you?" Ezra asks completely confused.

" Because I kissed Hardy at the party! You saw us and left, that's when you were hit by the drunk driver!" I shout.

The same look that I saw on Ezra's face at the party appears as tears begin to roll down his cheeks.

**So Aria finally tells Ezra the truth! How do you think he is going to react? I hope you enjoyed some of the fluff in this chapter, even though drama followed it. Please review it would mean the world for me. Thanks for reading!**

**- xoxo**


	21. Chapter 21

Ezra's POV

I feel like Aria just punched me in the stomach. I try to prevent tears from spilling out of my eyes, but I'm unsuccessful.

" I'm so sorry." Aria says through her tears.

Unable to respond, I just lie there while my heart painfully shatters.

" Please say something." Aria says weakly.

" I didn't think you were that kind of girl." I confess sadly.

" What do you mean that kind of girl?" Aria asks.

" The kind who would steal my heart and shatter it." I tell her.

" I was completely drunk! I never ment to hurt you." Aria says apologetically.

" Whatever Aria." I say before making my way to the door.

" Ezra don't go! This is exactly what happened the night of your accident!" She shouts.

I ignore her pleads and make my way out of the apartment. Aria sprints over to me and tries pulling me away from the door. For someone so petite, she is awfully strong.

" Let me go Aria." I say angrily.

" No." She says stubbornly.

Moments later I feel Aria's arms losing their tight grip around my waist. Aria falls to the ground as she begins to shake rigidly. All of my anger and sadness is replaced with fear.

" It's okay I'm not leaving." I tell her gently.

When her shaking does not deteriorate, I realize that Aria is having a panick attack. I use to get them all the time when I was a kid, so luckily I know exactly what to do. I pick Aria up and lie her down on my bed.

" Sh-sh you're safe Aria. I love you, everything is going to be okay." I say attempting to soothe her.

Aria does not respond to my comforting words, instead she starts to breathe even more heavily.

" Do you need some water?" I ask her gently.

" N-no." She barley manages to mumble.

I hold Aria in my arms and rub her back gently. As Aria's adrenaline dies down, so does her heavy breathing. I feel her body go completely limp, and I realize she passed out. I guide Aria's head to the pillow, and I pull the covers over her body. I lie down next to Aria, knowing we will need to have a very serious talk when she wakes up.

Aria's POV

I wake up in a cold sweat. To my surprise Ezra is hovering over me worriedly, he didn't leave!

" What happened?" I ask nervously.

" You had a panick attack when I started to walk out the door." Ezra tells me.

" Why didn't you leave?" I ask confused.

" I couldn't have left you hyperventilating on the floor." Ezra explains.

" Thank you for making sure I was okay." I say shyly.

Ezra just nods his head at me. I can see the hurt and confusion in Ezra's eyes.

" Please just do it already." I beg Ezra.

" Do what?" He asks confused.

" Break up with me again!" I say frustrated.

Ezra shakes his head and says, " I'm not breaking up with you. I love way to much to let a drunken kiss destroy our relationship."

" I would feel so much better if you would just yell at me." I say as begin to sob.

" What good would that do?" Ezra asks as he kisses my forehead.

" Stop acting like everything is okay, I can see the pain in your eyes. This guilt is literally eating me alive!" I tell Ezra.

" I'm not going to lie Aria, you really hurt me. But I have to remember that you are human, and we all make mistakes. I can tell that you're genuinely sorry." Ezra says to me.

" Please tell me what I can do to fix this, I'll do anything!" I beg Ezra.

" I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer it honestly." Ezra tell me.

" Okay." I agree.

" What was going through your mind when you kissed Hardy?" Ezra asks.

" Before the kiss you and I had an argument. I was to drunk to function, and you were doing everything you could to get me in your car. I just remember being so upset about Alison and missing my friends and family. I finally got away from you and made my way back to the dance floor. Hardy was standing there, just as drunk as I was. Before I knew it he started to kiss me, I thought you were mad at me so I kissed him back." I say as tears roll down my face.

" So you don't have feelings for Hardy?" Ezra asks.

" No! I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but you're the only man I have feelings for. I love you so much it hurts sometimes!" I reply.

" That makes me feel so much better." Ezra tells me as he holds me tightly.

" I can't even begin to express how sorry I am." I say sadly.

" Stop feeling sorry, I forgive you." Ezra tells me.

" Why are you so perfect?" I ask Ezra.

" Believe me, I'm definitely not perfect." Ezra says chuckling.

" Well you are to me." I say to him.

" Do you have any idea how much I love you? I want to marry you someday and have children with you. I never want you away from me." Ezra says as he holds me tighter.

" I want all of those things too." I tell him.

" We will have it all someday." Ezra says happily.

" Good." I reply.

" Get some sleep. I promise I'll be by your side when you wake up." Ezra tells me.

Line break

After sleeping for a couple of hours, I finally wake up. I'm very disappointed when I realize Ezra's side of the bed is empty. I quickly realize he is in the kitchen making breakfast.

" You promised you would be next to me when I woke up!" I shout to Ezra.

" I thought you would be asleep for at least another hour." Ezra explains.

" I'm an early riser, don't you remember?" I tease.

" You were out cold when I got out of bed. I guess I should have figured you were about to wake up when you stopped snoring!" Ezra teases back.

" I don't snore!" I argue.

" Believe me, you do!" Ezra says chuckling.

" Oh yeah? Well you laugh in your sleep." I tell Ezra.

" You mean like this?" Ezra asks as he begins to tickle me.

" Stop!" I shout through my laughter.

" Admit that you snore!" Ezra says as he continues to tickle me.

" No." I argue as I kick my legs around.

" Someone is stubborn!" Ezra says as he tickles me even more.

" Yeah, you." I shout through my giggles.

Ezra finally stops tickling me when the fire alarm goes off.

" I guess I burnt the pancakes." Ezra says embarrassed.

" I guess somethings never change." I say as he rushes to air out the room.

" I'll just order a pizza." Ezra decides.

" What pizza place is open at eight in the morning?" I ask amused.

" Fine. Go get dressed, we can go to the coffee shop on campus." Ezra tells me.

" Only in one condition." I say.

" What?" Ezra asks.

" Promise me you will take a cooking class before we get married!" I tease.

" Fine, but only for you." Ezra says chuckling.

**What did you think? Were you surprised with how Ezra reacted? Please review and keep reading my story :). Have a good weekend!**


	22. Chapter 22

Ezra's POV

Two months have passed since I woke up from my car accident. Even though I'm mostly healed, Aria still insists on staying with me in my apartment. Not that I'm complaining, I love having Aria around. She is currently lying on my couch and taking notes on her recorded lectures.

" Are you still studying?" I ask.

" I don't have a choice, finals are in less than a month." Aria reminds me.

" Thanks for reminding me." I say sarcastically.

Finals are not the only thing that I'm stressing out about. In less than a month, I will be graduating from college. Life is going to change very quickly, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave Berkley just yet. My phone's persistent buzzing interrupts my thoughts. I check my caller I.D. and realize it's Hardy. After I found out about him kissing Aria, I was furious. However, Hardy apologized and explained what was going through his mind when he kissed Aria. It took me a while to forgive him, but now our friendship is as strong as ever.

" Hey Hardy." I say when I pick up my phone.

" Hey Ezra. Are we still taking Aria and Jackie to the city tonight?" Hardy asks.

" I was planning on it, but I might need some help peeling Aria away from her books." I tell him.

" Is she stressed out about finals?" He asks.

" Yeah, it seems like it." I reply.

" Are you excited for graduation?" Hardy asks.

" Not really, I still have a lot of tough decisions to make." I say.

" I take it you haven't told Aria?" Hardy questions.

" How can I? It would break her heart." I remind Hardy.

" I know, but graduation is around the corner. The sooner you tell Aria, the better you will feel." Hardy says to me.

" I haven't even made my decision." I argue frustrated.

" If I were you I would go for it. After all, this is the opportunity that you have always dreamed of." Hardy reminds me.

" That's why making this decision is so difficult." I say sadly.

" I'll stand by you and your decision." Hardy says to me.

" Thanks. I'll see you tonight." I say as I hang up the phone.

" Who was that?" Aria asks absent-mindedly.

" Hardy, he wanted to know if we were still on for tonight." I explain.

" As much as I would love to go to the city tonight, I have a ton of studying to do." Aria says frowning.

" It's Friday night! You have the rest of the weekend to study." I tell her.

" I don't know." She says reluctantly.

" Come on Aria. A study break would help clear your mind." I say as I kiss her forehead gently.

" Yeah, I guess you're right." Aria says as she shuts her book dramatically.

" I'm always right." I tease.

" Whatever you say." Aria says as she rolls her eyes jokingly.

" I love you so much." I say as I wrap my arms around Aria.

" I love you too." She says as she leans into my chest.

Guilt over takes my body. I do love Aria, that's why she deserves to know the truth.

" Aria." I say nervously.

" What?" She asks.

" Never mind." I say timidly.

Aria looks at me like I'm crazy.

" Is everything okay?" She asks concerned.

" Yeah." I lie.

" If you say so." Aria says shrugging.

Aria's POV

I stand in Ezra's bedroom and try to decide on what dress I'm going to wear tonight. I absent-mindedly throw on a dress that Hanna bought for me.

" That looks good." Ezra says as he enters the room.

" Really?" I ask.

" Yeah, but you'd look good in anything." Ezra says as he puts his arms around me.

" You're sweet." I say as my cheeks turn red.

" Are you excited for tonight?" Ezra asks.

" Do you even have to ask?" I tease.

" Hopefully Jackie won't be such a pain this time." Ezra says rolling his eyes.

" Give her a break." I say feeling the need to defend Jackie.

" You're right, I can actually stand her now." Ezra says laughing.

I sigh sadly.

" I'm just joking Aria, I love Jackie." Ezra says trying to soothe me.

" It isn't that." I reply.

" What is it then?" Ezra asks concerned.

" I just miss you." I confess.

" How can you miss me? We live together!" Ezra reminds me.

" I know. Life is just so busy and I feel like we never have any time to spend together." I explain.

Ezra's shoulders immediately tense up.

" What's wrong?" I ask confused.

" Nothing." Ezra mumbles.

" I can tell when you're lying to me." I remind Ezra.

" Let's just enjoy our night together." Ezra suggests.

" Sounds like a plan." I say knowing that Ezra doesn't want to talk about whatever is bothering him.

Line Break

At about six o'clock Hardy and Jackie arrive at Ezra's apartment.

" Hello Aria." Jackie says as she greets me with a hug.

" Hey Jackie!" I say happily.

" Our girlfriends are so close, why aren't we that way man?" Hardy asks Ezra jokingly.

The group immediately bursts into a fit of laughter.

" We should get going before the traffic gets bad." Ezra suggests.

The four of us leave the apartment and wait in the complex for a cab. The drive up to San Fransisco has a light and friendly atmosphere, unlike my first time going to the city! After about forty minutes, the taxi driver drops us off at Union Square.

" The city is busy tonight!" Ezra says to me through the commotion.

I nod my head in response.

" Let's find a place to eat, I'm starving!" Hardy suggests.

" I know this really good Italian place that's just around the corner." Jackie tells us.

" Lead the way." Ezra says to her.

Jackie takes us into the cozy Italian restaurant. The waitress seats us in a comfy booth near the bar area.

" Do you want to split something?" Ezra asks me.

" Sure, I'll have whatever you want." I tell Ezra.

Our conversation is interrupted when I see two of Hardy and Ezra's close friends Matt and Graziella approach our table.

" Ezra, Hardy!" Their friend Matt calls out excitedly.

" Hey Matt! What are you two doing here?" Ezra asks.

" Graziella and I were getting tired of studying for finals, so we decided to go for a date night in the city." Matt replies.

" It's good to see you guys!" Graziella says enthusiastically.

" Would you two like to join us for dinner?" Hardy asks the couple.

" Sure, that sounds fun." Matt says.

My shoulders immediately tense up. I am the only freshman in the group, and the only person who Matt and Graziella don't know personally. Ezra immediately realizes that I'm nervous.

" We can get another table for just us if you would like." Ezra whispers in my ear.

" I'm fine." I say as I give him a sly smile.

" Tell me if you change your mind." Ezra says as he rubs my thighs from underneath the table.

" What can I get you all to drink?" The friendly waitress asks our table.

" We will have six vodkas." Hardy tells her.

" Five vodkas, I'm good with water." I tell the waitress.

" Come on Aria!" Jackie protests.

" Aria doesn't have to do anything that she isn't comfortable with." Ezra says as he wraps his arms around me protectively.

" Thank you." I say to him quietly.

Graziella's ice blue eyes light up.

" Oh my gosh, are you pregnant Aria?" She asks excitedly.

" What? Absolutely not!" I say shocked.

" Why would you even think that?" Ezra asks confused.

" You basically live together, and she isn't getting anything to drink." Graziella explains defensively.

" Aria is only nineteen, it's illegal for her to have alcohol." Ezra reminds Graziella.

" I completely forgot! You seem so much older than nineteen!" Graziella says apologetically.

The bartender probably would have served me if I wanted a drink, but I haven't consumed any alcohol since the night of Ezra's accident. After seeing how reckless I got after a couple of shots, I decided to stay away from drinking for a while.

" I'm so excited for graduation!" Jackie says happily.

" Speaking of graduation, I haven't had the chance to congratulate Ezra!" Matt says grinning.

I glance at Ezra confused, what is Matt congratulating him for?

" Thanks, but can we not talk about this now?" Ezra asks nervously.

" You're always so modest, this is a huge deal!" Matt protests.

Ezra shoots Matt the death glare.

" What is he taking about?" I ask Ezra confused.

" You don't know?" Graziella asks surprised.

" He hasn't had the chance to talk to Aria about this." Hardy says annoyed.

" Aria let's go outside, I think we need to talk." Ezra says.

" Okay." I say as he grabs my hand and leads me out of the booth.

" Nice going." I hear Jackie tell Matt and Graziella angrily.

" What were they talking about?" I ask Ezra when we get outside.

" Take my jacket, it's cold out here and I don't want you getting sick." Ezra says as he holds out his warm coat.

I shake my head and say, " Stop avoiding my questions! What were they talking about?"

Ezra sighs defeated.

" You know how much I love you, right?" He asks.

I nod my head nervously.

" The University of Columbia in New York city offered me a job as an English professor." Ezra tells me.

" Ezra that's amazing, I'm so happy for you!" I say as I try to fight back tears.

" Do you want to talk about this?" He asks me.

" There is nothing to talk about." I say sadly.

" Yes there is Aria! We need to discuss what this means for us." Ezra argues.

" I can't have this conversation now." I say as I start to walk away from Ezra.

" Where are you going?" He asks confused.

" For a walk, I need some fresh air." I tell Ezra.

" Let me come with you." Ezra says.

" I just need some time alone." I protests.

" Please let me come with you! It's not safe for you to be alone this late on a Friday night." Ezra begs desperately.

" Goodbye Ezra." I say as I sprint away from him.

" Aria, come back!" He yells.

I ignore him and continue to run. When I get far enough away from the restaurant, I let all of my emotions out. Tears roll down my face, and sad moans escape my lips. Ezra is moving on. Not just from Berkley, but from me also.

**What were all of your reactions? Please review and let me know! Have a great weekend! **

**- xoxo **


	23. Chapter 23

Ezra's POV

" Aria." I call as I run through the crowded streets of San Fransisco.

I have never seen someone run as fast as Aria did after I told her the news. I can't believe she is being so immature about this whole situation. I might not even take the job, and even if I do we can handle a long distance relationship. I sigh in relief when I see Aria sitting alone on a bench in the middle of Union Square. I approach her, and our eyes immediately lock.

" Why did you have to run away from me like that?" I ask her angrily.

" I'm sorry, I just didn't know what to say." Aria admits.

I sit next to Aria on the bench, and put my arm around her.

" I don't think I'm going to take the job." I tell her.

" You're going to take the job Ezra, you have to." Aria argues.

" I don't want to go to New York if it means being away from you." I confess.

" You can't let me hold you back. This is your dream Ezra, and you only get one life." Aria says.

" What if I told you that I'm scared?" I ask Aria.

" What are you scared of?" Aria asks me confused.

" Everything. Leaving California, my best friends, and you." I reply.

" You can still keep in touch with your friends Ezra, I still keep in touch with mine." She reminds me.

" What if I'm scared of leaving college, and getting out into the real world?" I ask Aria.

" That's normal Ezra. I was scared to leave Rosewood, but look at how many amazing things came out of it. I got to experience living in a new place, meet new people, and best of all fall in love with you." Aria says as she squeezes my hand.

" Yeah I guess." I say skeptically.

" You can accomplish anything Ezra. You're smart, compassionate, driven, and let's not forget charming." Aria tells me.

" You're amazing Aria." I say admiring her.

We sit quietly on the bench for what seems like eternity.

Finally Aria breaks the silence by asking, " What does this mean for us?"

" We can talk on the phone, and Skipe every night. You can stop by New York every time you visit your family in Rosewood, and I'll come visit you and Hardy in California occasionally." I suggest.

Aria just looks at me skeptically.

" Of course, only if that's what you want." I say to Aria,

" Is that really what you want?" Aria asks.

" I want to be with you Aria. You're special, and I don't know if I'll ever find anyone like you." I explain.

" I want to be with you too. You have helped me get through so much, and I don't know what I would have done without you. But..." Aria begins to say.

" But what?" I ask anxiously.

" We are in different places in our lives Ezra, I still have three more years left at Berkley." She reminds me.

" I don't care, I'll wait for you." I say as I grab her hands.

" But who knows where I'm going to end up after college? What if I decide to stay on the West Coast?" Aria asks.

" We can figure it out then, we always do." I say trying to convince her.

" Having a long distance relationship isn't fair to anyone." Aria says sadly.

" I guess you're right. You're still young and things shouldn't be this complicated for you, maybe we should take a break." I say looking down.

Both of us stare at each other silently.

" Did we just break up?" Aria asks with tears welling up in her eyes.

" I think we did." I say as I wipe away her tears.

" Graduation isn't for another two weeks, we can hang out until then right?" Aria asks.

" I don't think so Aria. Seeing you will hurt too much." I tell her sadly.

" I get it." Aria says holding back tears.

" Aria if we are meant to be, we will end up together. Don't waste your time worrying." I say to her.

" You're right, I hope fate will bring us back together one day." Aria says before she kisses my cheek gently and starts to walk away.

" Wait!" I call as I spin Aria around and kiss her passionately for the last time.

We kiss for what seems like eternity. Aria finally pulls away any runs her fingers through my hair.

" Goodbye Ezra." She says as she walks away.

Aria's POV

Tears stream down my face, tonight was suppose to be a romantic getaway. Instead, it resulted in Ezra and I breaking up. I can't believe I just lost Ezra, my Ezra. I have no idea what I'm going to do next, or how I'm going to get over him. All I know is that I've moved on once, and I'm going to have to do it again. After all, our break up is for the best. I call a cab and ask him to drive me to Ezra's apartment. When I get inside of the familiar apartment, I break down. I am going to miss Ezra so much. I pack all of my things quickly, so I can avoid running into Ezra. I look around before shutting the door to apartment B26 for the last time.

Line Break

I sit in my apartment alone, watching "The Notebook" while eating a gallon of ice cream. I'm pretty sure I look awful, my hair is tangled and mascara is running down my puffy face. I call all three of the girls, but none of them pick up. Spencer is probably with Toby, or studying for some big exam. Emily is probably at swim practice working hard. Hanna is probably making plans for her wedding in two weeks, I bet she is stressing out. Having no one else to call, I dial my mom's number.

" Aria? How are you sweetie?" She asks.

" Good." I say trying to hide the pain in my voice.

" You seem upset? Is something bothering you?" She asks concerned.

" No. I just wanted to check up on you." I lie.

" I'm your mom, shouldn't I be the one checking up on you?" She teases.

Unsure of what to say, I remain silent.

" I can tell when you're lying to me, what's wrong?" She asks gently.

" I said nothing!" I shout frustrated.

" It's Friday night, don't you have plans with Ezra?" My mom asks.

" Mommy." I say before I start to cry hysterically.

" Sh-sh it's going to be okay." She comforts me.

" No it's not! Everything's all wrong!" I shout frustrated.

" Do you want to talk about it?" She asks me.

I spend the rest of my Friday night crying and pouring my heart out to my mother. After she comforts me for about two hours, we say our goodbyes and I love you's. I keep repeating Ezra's words to myself.

" If we are meant to be, then we will end up together." I murmur before my eyes close for the night.

**The End! Thanks for everyone's support!**

**Just kidding! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it was sad. Just a heads up, this story is going to be over within 2-3 more chapters. Please review, and thanks for reading :). **


	24. Chapter 24

Aria's POV

I pack my suitcases and sigh sadly, I'm leaving California for the summer today. Today is also Ezra's college graduation, which I unfortunately have to miss. My flight to New York is leaving at the same time the graduation is going on. Hanna's wedding is in four days, and I'm flying up early to help her set everything up. If Ezra and I were still together, things might be different. I would go to Ezra's graduation, and he would be my date to Hanna's wedding. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. I miss Ezra so much that it hurts just thinking about him. I wish things were different, but I can't let my broken heart ruin the most important day of Hanna's life. I need to pull it together when I see the girls, the focus can't be on me. I check my phone and realize that it's only nine o'clock, my flight doesn't leave for another four hours. I have time to get some coffee before I go to the airport.

Line break

I enter the old coffee shop near campus. This is the place where Ezra and I met for the first time. It seems like only yesterday I bumped into him here. "Happiness" by The Fray plays in the shop. Tears begin to roll down my face, this was our song. This is the last straw, I immediately pull out my phone and dial Hanna's number.

" Aria? What's up? We have some serious last minute planning to do when you arrive." Hanna says obviously stressed.

" That's actually what I need to talk with you about. I'm staying in California a little longer then we originally planned. I have some unfinished business that I need to take care of." I tell Hanna.

Ezra's POV

Graduation day is finally here! Four years of studying is finally paying off. Today is a big day for me, but I know it isn't complete without Aria. I am starting to regret breaking up with her, she is worth fighting for.

" Ezra am I wearing this right?" Hardy asks gesturing towards his cap.

" You might want to turn it around." I say with a slight eye roll.

" What's with the attitude? It's graduation, stop mopping over your breakup." Hardy says annoyed.

" I know, I just miss her." I say sadly.

" There are plenty of fish in the sea Ezra." Hardy tells me.

" I guess." I say doubtfully.

" Let's go out there and find our seats." Hardy suggests.

As soon as we step outside of the gym, Hardy's mom greats us.

" I'm so proud of you two!" She says as she wraps her arms around us.

" Thanks Nancy." I say appreciatively.

Hardy's mom has been a strong motherly figure in my life, more than my own biological mother has been.

" I'm going to find my seat. You boys better smile when you receive your diplomas so I can get good pictures!" She tells us.

We agree and find our seats. I skim through the audience, my parents aren't here which does not surprise me. It doesn't look like Aria is here either, this breaks my heart. The dean gives us a long speech about life and success, he is finally handing out the diplomas.

" Ezra Fitzgerald." He calls out over the microphone.

I walk onto the stage and skim through the crowed. My heart leaps with joy when I see Aria standing in the back. Our eyes meet at the same time. She gives my a slight smile and claps loudly with the crowd. I take my diploma, shake dean's hand, and walk happily to my seat. After what seems like eternity, the ceremony finally ends. I run over to Aria before she can leave.

" Good you're still here." I say as I approach Aria.

" Yeah, I couldn't leave without giving you these." Aria says as she hands me a bouquet of flowers.

" Thank you so much, not just for the flowers but for coming." I say as I give Aria a hug.

" I couldn't keep myself away, and I think that I should be the one thanking you. I don't know how I would have gotten through this year if I hadn't met you." She confesses.

" It was a good year wasn't it?" I ask her.

She smiles and nods her head.

" It was great seeing you again Ezra, but I need to leave before I miss my flight." She tells me.

" That's right, Hanna's wedding is this weekend." I say.

Aria nods her head and says, " Goodbye Ezra."

" Bye." I say as she walks away.

Aria turns around and runs back to me.

" I forgot to ask you to call me sometime, I would love to still be friends." Aria tells me nervously.

" Right, friends." I say sadly.

" I really have to go now, enjoy the graduation party." Aria says as she runs to her car.

I sigh to myself, I won't enjoy it without her.

Line Break

Music is playing loudly, and people chatter happily among themselves. Matt is throwing a huge graduation party for all of our friends in his parent's mansion.

" There you are man, our table is this way." Hardy says as he leads me towards the table.

I sit down with all of my friends, but my mind is else where.

" Ezra, are you so excited to move to New York?" Jackie asks trying to lighten the mood.

" Absolutely." I say as I put on a fake smile.

" The drinks are over there if you want anything." Graziella tells me kindly.

I smile at her and walk over to the bar. A petite brunette immediately catches my eyes.

" Aria!" I call out happily.

The girl turns around and looks nothing like Aria.

" Sorry I thought you were someone else." I say embarrassed.

The party drags on for anther five hours, and will probably last all night. I wonder if Aria is in New York yet, I hope she is safe. I build up my courage and dial her number.

" Ezra?" She asks surprised.

" Are you in New York yet?" I ask anxiously.

" Yeah I'm at the airport waiting for Hanna." She tells me.

" So you're safe?" I ask her.

" Yes, don't worry!" She tells me.

" Okay, it's just that New York is dangerous if you're not careful. Don't go any where alone, don't talk to any boys you don't know-" I start to say.

" Ezra!" Aria interrupts.

" I'm rambling aren't I." I say embarrassed.

" Only a little." Aria says giggling.

" I should get going. I love- I mean have a good time." I say.

" Ezra, do we need to talk about this?" Aria asks concerned.

" I really have to go." I say as I hang up the phone.

I see Hardy drinking with Jackie.

" I need your help." I say as I approach them.

" What's up?" Jackie asks.

" I need to get on a flight to New York tonight." I say anxiously.

" You're leaving tonight? Come on Ezra, the party isn't over yet!" Hardy reminds me.

" I know but I need to get to New York." I say frustrated.

" Why?" Hardy asks confused.

" Because I think I made the biggest mistake of my life. I have to make things right with Aria, I need her." I tell them.

" Get a cab to your apartment and pack your bags, we need to get you to New York." Hardy says smiling.

**What did you all think? Thank you so much for reading and please review! Have a great Memorial Day weekend!**


	25. Chapter 25

Aria's POV

" This place is beautiful Hanna." I say as I observe the church where the wedding will take place

" Isn't it?" She asks excitedly.

" I'm so happy for you." I say smiling.

Spencer and Emily walk into the church with big bouquets of flowers to put around the aisles.

" Spencer, I said I wanted purple roses!" Hanna says frustrated.

" Sorry princess." Spencer says with an eye roll.

" It's fine I'll pick some up before tomorrow. Sorry I snapped at you, I'm just really overwhelmed." Hanna says apologetically.

" Don't worry about it." Spencer says as she hugs Hanna.

Within minutes Hanna, Spencer, and Emily are squealing about how excited they are for the wedding. I try to pretend like everything is okay, but Hanna can read me like a book.

" Spill it Montgomery." Hanna says as she puts her arms around me.

" Spill what?" I ask confused.

" You seem upset, what's bothering you?" She asks concerned.

" Nothing." I say looking down.

" Liar." Spencer mumbles.

" Where is Ezra?" Emily asks.

I feel as though someone dumped a bucket of cold ice water on me. I try to hold back the tears that rapidly pour out of my eyes.

" Oh sweetie." Spencer says worriedly.

" I'm fine really, this weekend is about Hanna not me." I tell the girls.

" If something's bothering you Aria talk about it with us. If you're miserable, so am I." Hanna tells me.

" What happened between you and Ezra?" Emily asks.

" We broke up." I admit as tears roll down my face.

" Why?" Hanna asks.

" He got offered a job in New York." I explain.

" Can't you guys talk on the phone and stuff?" Spencer asks.

" If only it were that simple." I say.

" Aria listen to me, if Ezra isn't willing to fight for you then he doesn't deserve you. You're amazing Aria, you can do so much better." Hanna tells me.

" Thanks." I say wiping away the rest of my tears.

" What do you say we take a break and go out for ice cream?" Hanna asks.

" That it's about time." Spencer says dropping the red roses.

Ezra's POV

After a long flight, I finally arrive in New York at midnight. I walk into the lobby of The Plaza because I remember that Aria mentioned she is staying here. I tentatively walk up to the front desk.

" Can you tell me what room Aria Montgomery is staying in?" I ask the woman at the desk.

" I'm sorry but I can't give random men our guests room numbers." She says sternly.

" I'm not a random man, I'm her boyfriend." I lie.

" Why don't you just call her then?" The woman asks.

" She has been walking around the City all day. The poor thing is probably fast asleep, and I don't want to wake her." I tell the woman.

" How sweet of you." The woman says rolling her eyes.

" Ask me anything about her and I'll tell you." I say desperately.

" I'm sorry Sir, but I can't give you her room number." The woman says apologetically.

" It's fine, I'll just call her I guess." I say as I walk anyway.

Great, how am I going to find Aria? A familiar face catches my eye and I know that I have the answer.

" Spencer!" I call out to her.

" Ezra hello." She says cooly.

" Can you tell me what room Aria is staying in?" I ask desperately.

" So you can break her heart again?" Spencer scoffs.

I am taken aback by her words, I never thought about how our breakup would affect Aria.

" I know that I hurt her, and I'm sorry. I just want to fix everything." I say sadly.

" You didn't hear this from me but Aria is staying in room 17 on the twelfth floor." Spencer says as she walks away.

" Thank you so much!" I call to her.

I immediately get in the elevator and make my way up to the twelfth floor. It takes me a minute to build up my courage and knock on Aria's door.

" Who is it?" She asks from inside of her room.

" Ezra." I respond.

" Ezra?" She says astonished as she opens the door.

" Can I come in?" I ask her.

" I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Aria says looking down.

Aria's eyes are red and her face looks red and puffy as if she has been crying.

" Please let me in Aria. I flew all the way to New York just so I could stare into your beautiful eyes." I tell her.

" Did I miss something? You broke up with me, remember?" She asks cooly.

" I know and I think that it was the biggest mistake that I've ever made. I miss you Aria, everything about you." I say as I put my hand on her shoulder.

" I miss you too, but things shouldn't be this hard." Aria tells me.

" You're right. I'll call the dean of NYU tomorrow and tell him that I'm out, I can find a job near you." I tell Aria.

" I can't ask you to do that." Aria says.

" This job isn't going to make me happy, you're the only person that can do that." I say sincerely.

" Come inside." Aria says nervously.

We both sit on the couch and stare at each other awkwardly.

" So what are we going to do?" I ask her.

" You shouldn't turn down this job offer Ezra, but what if I applied to a college in New York? I have the grades to get into Columbia." Aria tells me.

" You shouldn't have to do that Aria, it isn't fair." I argue.

" I love California, but if I move to New York I'll get to see my family and friends more." Aria explains.

" Are you doing this for me?" I ask her.

" A little, but I'm doing it for me too. Besides, you almost turned down your dream job so that we could be together." Aria says grabbing my hand.

" Are you sure that this is what's best for you." I ask sternly.

Aria simply nods her head and smiles.

" I love you Aria, and I never want to lose you again." I say as I envelop her in a hug.

Salty tears run down Aria's face.

" What's wrong?" I ask concerned.

" Nothing, I've just missed you terribly." Aria says as she falls into me.

" I've missed you too, and I need you." I say as I kiss her passionately.

Aria kisses me back, harder than she ever has before. Things get even more heated and we end up in bed. After nearly an hour of making love, both of us collapse. I hold Aria securely in my arms as she begins to fall asleep. Right when I'm about to fall asleep, I hear someone open Aria's door. A few seconds later the lights flicker on, my first instinct is to cover Aria's naked body. Aria's tired eyes begin to flutter open in confusion.

" Oh my God, what is he doing here?" Screams the shrill voice of Hanna Marin.

" I think the better question is what are you doing here?" Aria asks annoyed.

" I couldn't sleep because I can't decide if we should use the red roses that Spencer bought. I didn't know you would be in bed with your ex boyfriend!" Hanna explains.

" Yeah, well um he isn't my ex anymore. We just got back together." Aria explains.

" I can see that." Hanna says staring at me.

" You're getting married tomorrow Han, you need to get some sleep! We can talk about your roses in the morning." Aria tells her.

" You're right, sorry I barged in here. You two get back too whatever you were just doing." Hanna says walking out.

Aria giggles and my cheeks turn bright red.

" I've missed your cute little laugh." I say as I kiss Aria's forehead.

" You should have seen the look on your face when Hanna came in here, priceless." Aria giggles.

" Let's just pretend like that never happened and get some sleep." I suggest.

" Good idea." Aria says as she cuddles me.

" Goodnight love." I say as Aria closes her beautiful eyes.

**What did you think? Sorry it took me so long to update, I just fished finals and I've had a little bit of writer's block. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review :).**


	26. Chapter 26

Ezra's POV

I smile to myself as I recollect every wonderful detail of last night. I finally have Aria back, and I plan on never letting her go again.

" Good morning princess." I whisper in attempt to wake Aria up.

" Good morning." She moans sleepily.

" It's time to get out of bed, Hanna and Caleb's wedding is today." I say as I nudge her gently.

" Fine." Aria says as she drags herself out of bed.

I let Aria get ready in the bathroom while I change into my tux. After nearly forty minutes, Aria finishes getting ready. I stare at her in awe when I see how gorgeous she looks in her bridesmaid dress.

" Wow." Is all I can manage to say.

" You don't look so bad yourself Fitz." Aria says as she wraps her arms around my neck.

" I'm so happy that I have you back." I tell Aria.

" I'm the lucky one here." Aria says blushing.

Our love fest is interrupted when we hear someone knocking on our door.

" Come in." Aria yells.

Spencer, Hanna, and Emily enter our hotel room.

" Ezra, look who decided to knock." Aria says glaring at Hanna.

" Lay off Montgomery, it's my wedding day." Hanna teases.

" I know, and Caleb is a very lucky man." Aria says as she gives Hanna a bear hug.

" Hurry up and come with us Aria, as a bridesmaid it's your job to help me deal with any problems that happen three hours before the wedding." Hanna says as she grabs Aria by the arms.

" Okay. Bye Ezra, I love you." Aria says as she leaves the room.

I stand in my tux wonder struck. How did I get so lucky? To think that I almost lost Aria for good. We have been through so much together, good and bad. In spite of everything though, Aria always manages to end up back in my arms.

Aria's POV

I sit in the dressing room of the chapel with Emily, Spencer, Hanna, Ashley Marin, and my mom. A professional cosmopolitan just finished touching up Hanna's hair and makeup. I stare at Hanna in her lavish white dress and begin to tear up. Hanna Marin is about to become Hanna Rivers, nothing will ever be the same again. We are no longer young girls jumping rope and playing with dolls, we are young women who are growing up and experiencing the world. I know that soon it will be Spencer, Emily, and my turn to walk down the aisle. I look at Hanna and realize she is tearing up as well.

" You look absolutely gorgeous." I say squeezing her hand.

" Thanks." She says hugging me.

Hanna's mom places the white vail on Hanna's head and kisses her cheek.

" Are you ready?" Ashley asks.

" As ready as I'll ever be." Hanna replies with a grin.

Line Break

After getting Hanna all dolled up, I find my seat next to Ezra in the front of the church.

" This venue is beautiful, you all did a great job organizing this." Ezra whispers to me.

" Thanks babe." I say squeezing his hand.

The wedding is lovely and everything is going very smoothly. When the priest finally proceeds to the I do's, Ezra looks at me lovingly.

" This could be us someday." He whispers to me.

Ezra's words give me the chills, the idea of marrying him is just to perfect.

" I hope it is." I whisper and kiss Ezra on the cheek.

Line Break

Ezra and I sit at a highly decorated table at the Hastings's mansion in The Hamptons. This is where Hanna and Celeb are having their wedding reception. After everyone makes their toasts to Hanna and Caleb, the party gathers around the dance floor. The DJ puts on "Happiness" by the Fray causing me to smile and kiss Ezra's cheek.

" Can I have this dance." Ezra asks me.

" Of course you may." I say as Ezra leads me to the dance floor.

I place my arms around Ezra's shoulders while his hands rest on my hips. I lean into him as we sway to the calming music.

" What are you thinking about?" Ezra asks me.

" How amazing this year was." I respond.

" It was pretty good wasn't it?" Ezra asks chuckling.

I nod my head in response.

" I have something very important to ask you." Ezra asks seriously.

" What?" I ask curiously.

" Come outside with me so we can talk." Ezra says as he leads me through the crowd.

Ezra takes me to the beautiful rose garden in the Hastings's backyard.

" Isn't this the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" I ask Ezra as I pick up a little red rose.

" Second most beautiful." Ezra says looking at me.

" Stop it!" I say.

" Your cheeks are as red as the roses." Ezra teases.

" You have that effect on me." I tell Ezra.

A nervous look washes over Ezra's face as he takes something out of his pocket. Ezra holds a jewelry box out for me to see and opens it slowly. I gasp in shock when I realize that a beautiful diamond ring is inside the box.

" I'm really nervous and I don't even know how to say this, so here it goes. This year has been the happiest of my life, and it's all because of you. I know we've had our ups and downs, but together we can overcome anything. The only life worth living is a life with you. Aria Montgomery will you marry me?" Ezra asks.

I am at an utter loss for words, and tears of joy run down my face. Unable to answer his question, I simply throw my arms around Ezra and kiss him gently.

" So um, is that a yes?" Ezra asks nervously.

" Of course it's a yes." I say through my tears.

A smile washes over Ezra's once nervous face as he lifts me up kisses me.

" I can't believe I have to plan another wedding! So much needs to get done..." I start to ramble.

Ezra silences me with another kiss.

" Sh-sh it's okay." Ezra says grinning.

" You're right." I say immediately relaxing.

Everything is okay, my life is absolutely perfect. I never have to worry about Noel or A again, I'm a moving closer to my friends and family, and best of all I'm engaged to the most wonderful man in the world!

" I love you Ezra." I tell him.

" I love you more Aria." He teases.

I smile to myself. With Ezra Fitz by my side, life after Rosewood is turning out to be pretty great!

**The end! (For real this time) Thank you all so much for reading this story, and for your kind and motivating reviews. I'm really sad this story is over and I've had a great time writing it! I'm currently working on two other stories entitled "Romeo and Juliet" and "Our New Beginning" they are both Ezria stories. If you haven't already please check them out, it would mean the world to me. Again thank you so much for all of your support, I wouldn't have been able to write this without you guys! **

**-xoxo**


End file.
